How much less complicated is the small estate procedure as compared to a regular probate?
A small estate proceeding involves much less time and expense than a regular probate proceeding. It usually costs less than $750.00 in legal fees and usually only takes five months to complete. In a regular probate, the legal fees are usually at least $3,000.00 and can be as high as $10,000.00 or $15,000.00 and the case can easily last more than a year. If your estate would have more assets than would qualify for small estate handling, your family would have to go through a full blown probate proceeding. In the course of probate proceedings, certain details of your private life are made part of the public record. Your executor or executrix (called a personal representative under Oregon law) has to be approved by the court. He or she must file documents giving an inventory of your estate and listing who is getting an inheritance and how much. Other private matters such as to whom you owed money and how much you owed at the time of your death also become part of the public record in the
A small estate proceeding involves much less time and expense than a regular probate proceeding. It usually costs less than $750.00 in legal fees and usually only takes five months to complete. In a regular probate, the legal fees are usually at least $3,000.00 and can be as high as $10,000.00 or $15,000.00 and the case can easily last more than a year. If your estate would have more assets than would qualify for small estate handling, your family would have to go through a full blown probate proceeding. In the course of probate proceedings, certain details of your private life are made part of the public record. Your executor or executrix (called a personal representative under Oregon law) has to be approved by the court. He or she must file documents giving an inventory of your estate and listing who is getting an inheritance and how much.
