Seattle Probate Litigation Attorney

Experienced Probate Litigation Law Firm in Seattle

At Ridgway Law Group, P.S., our Seattle practice revolves around resolution of all manner of disputes involving wills, trusts, estates, vulnerable adults and guardianships, and probate matters. Our law firm is one of the few firms in the Puget Sound that has extensive experience in such disputes.

Our clients benefit from our thorough, common-sense and responsive approach in matters concerning fiduciary disputes as well as our ability to effectively manage and represent clients in complex, multiparty disputes.

Why Choose Ridgway Law Group for Your Probate Disputes

Our firm is recognized throughout the region for our skill and efficiency in helping heirs, beneficiaries, executors, vulnerable adults, involved attorneys and other interested parties find pragmatic solutions to complex legal disputes involving hidden assets, intestate estates, financial malfeasance, undue influence and other contentious legal issues. Our lead attorney Sheila Ridgway regularly teaches legal seminars and authors articles on these subjects.

Understanding Probate Litigation in Seattle

The term "Probate Litigation" refers to the large range of conflicts that can arise when people disagree about their rights in respect to a deceased person's property, or in the deceased person's estate.

Probate involves the process of testing the legal validity of a deceased individual's will, followed by resolving the claims of creditors and distributing the remainder of the estate to the heirs. Naturally, there is a great potential for disputes and disagreements during this period. It is an area of practice which is notorious for being both complex from a legal standpoint and for often being fraught with emotion on the part of those involved.

The law of inheritance has been among the most detailed and complicated legal subjects dating back to Roman times, given how much is at stake for those involved and the lengths to which litigants are frequently willing to go in order to safeguard their right to a share of the estate of a deceased loved one.

Comprehensive Probate Services Offered in Seattle

Estate Litigation
Whether you are a beneficiary or an heir with questions about the administering of an estate; you have concerns about the validity of the will of a loved one under guardianship at the time of death; or you are a personal representative (executor) who is seeking to defend a claim of fiduciary malfeasance, our law firm can help.

Estate Administration
An attorney from our firm can advise you if you have been left with the duty of administering and executing the estate of a deceased individual, assisting you in transferring assets to the beneficiaries of the decedent and helping you ensure that you carry out your duties in the expected manner.

Will Contests
Our firm represents both heirs and beneficiaries as well as executors in legal matters concerning the validity of the last will and testament and issues such as the state of mind of the deceased at the time of execution of the will.

Trust Litigation
We work swiftly, knowledgeably and thoroughly to find a pragmatic solution to legal challenges relating to the creation, administration or termination of a trust. Issues that may arise include breach of fiduciary duty, challenges to the trust based on undue influence or disputes among beneficiaries.

Claims Against Fiduciaries
Our attorneys represent heirs, beneficiaries, wards, personal representatives (executors), trustees, guardians and attorneys-in-fact in matters involving fiduciary conduct of an executor or of a trust administrator, including concerns of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult or a person under guardianship.

TEDRA
Because of our principal attorney's strong negotiation skills and extensive mediation background, we have been effective in using TEDRA mediation to achieve our clients' goals while avoiding costly, timely conventional litigation.

Mediation
While our team provides experienced and formidable courtroom representation, we also offer clients the option of facilitated mediation to resolve a dispute. Litigation is often necessary to successfully defend a client's interests, but in other cases non-adversarial dispute resolution is a more appropriate approach.

Fiduciary Services
An attorney from our firm can provide you with services as a professional fiduciary, such as by acting as an estate trustee or executor, as your personal representative in estate administration or litigation, or in any other such matter where you require dedicated legal counsel and representation.

Elder Law
Vulnerable adults deserve to have a caring legal advocate to look out for their best interests on matters of finance and health decisions and to help defend them against physical and emotional abuse and exploitation on the part of family members, caregivers and others. We can also assist in establishing a legal guardianship to provide for your future care.

Contact a Trusted Seattle Estate and Trust Litigation Lawyer

To learn more about how we can make the law work for you, to find practical solutions to difficult legal matters involving estate and trust issues, vulnerable adults or TEDRA, or to discuss how we may assist you with our mediation services, please call us.