Funerals, Probate, Estate Planning Fort Worth Texas

Although it’s not a legal responsibility, the executor often arranges the decedent’s funeral. There are many online and offline resources to help you arrange a funeral, but here is some guidance to get you started.

Enlist Help

There is no reason for you to handle all of the final arrangements by yourself; ask family and friends to help. If the decedent was a veteran, there are additional resources online that can provide guidance.

Burial or Cremation

If the decedent had stated a preference between burial or cremation, you should do your best to honor their wishes. However, if you’re unsure of their preference, check the will, or search their personal papers for a durable power of attorney for health care document, a document sometimes called “Final Arrangements,” or anything written pertaining to prepaid arrangements.

• Burial: Traditional burial is more expensive and involved than cremation, but a funeral home or mortuary can professionally guide you through the process. Expect final expenses, including the funeral and burial, to conservatively cost $10,000 or more, depending upon how elaborate the ceremony is and how expensive the casket and burial plot are.
• Cremation: Cremation has become much more commonplace, with almost half of all final arrangements in the U.S. being handled this way. This is because of the much lower cost of cremation, which can cost under $1,000 if you don’t purchase an expensive urn or rent a casket for a pre-cremation ceremony.
• Along with price, another benefit of cremation over burial is rather than rushing to hold an immediate service and bury the deceased, you can hold a memorial service instead at the family’s convenience.

There are several websites that can compare costs in your area, such as funeralocity.com.

Payment of Final Expenses

Typically, the executor or another relative will pay funeral expenses upfront and later be reimbursed by the estate once the executor has access to estate funds. However, in some cases, funeral homes and other final services providers will delay any payment due until the estate pays or a life insurance company pays a death claim that has been filed.

In cases where the estate is insolvent (owes more than it’s worth), the law gives final expense payment a high priority, along with paying taxes and probate fees.

If the decedent was a U.S. military veteran, you might be able to get financial assistance with the funeral, burial plot, or other expenses. You can find information about this on the Department of Veterans Burial Benefits web page, or by calling Veterans Affairs at (800) 827-1000 or your local veteran's agency.

Obituary

As part of handling the funeral arrangements, you may wish to publish an obituary in a local newspaper, which they, in turn, will publish on their website. The funeral home you’re using can assist with this, or you can find the appropriate newspapers yourself at Legacy.com.

Questions Concerning Probate and Real Estate?

Certain aspects of settling an estate, like handling an estate’s real estate holdings, may be outside your area of expertise or comfort zone. If in doubt, work with a professional.

If you have questions concerning probate and real estate in Tarrant, Denton, Parker, Wise, Collin, or Dallas County, contact David Pannell and Cities Real Estate. David has extensive experience helping families with their real estate needs before, during, and after the probate process.

David has been an agent/realtor since 2005. He has served as a Unites States Marine, City of Arlington police officer, and is a dedicated family man. You can trust him to put your interests first in any and all situations.

Call David today at (817) 797-9047 for help with your real estate and probate needs. You will be treated respectfully, and your requirements will be met efficiently and confidentially.

Why Hire Cities Real Estate & David Pannell

We help Families going through Probate with all the tasks that the attorneys don’t do. We find that most people need help with cleaning out the houses, assisting the executors in finding the right estate sale companies in the area, and helping with donating personal property the family doesn’t want. We even educate you with small recommendations that will improve the property to get a better price; because so many investors are trying to buy estate properties for 40-50% of their value. Some of our best clients have come from the Probate Estates. with understanding the family’s goals then offering you some options to choose from.

We have expertise in Helping Personal Representatives get to their desired outcome faster, smoother, and with much less stress! We have built an entire team and service hub around the probate process, that will allow You to focus on YOUR busy life and not worry about all the details.

Let us help you gain complete control of the probate process. Working with the Probate Services team will reduce the stress of dealing with this major g this life transition

Rely On A Probate Estate Expert

Cities Real Estate agent David Pannell has been helping families with their real estate needs for over fifteen years. David is a former United States Marine and City of Arlington police officer. Contact David Pannell  today at (817) 797-9047.