HELPING YOU NAVIGATE PROBATE & ESTATE ADMINISTRATION
Attorney Paul Ganim has been serving estate adminstrators and executors in Connecticut for nearly 25 years. He is also an elected Probate Judge in Bridgeport, a position he has held since 1998. (Due to his appointment, Paul Gnaim cannot represent probate clients in Bridgeport; however, he does represent families in other probate courts in the sate, including those in Fairfield, New Haven, Stamford, Norwalk, Trumbull, Westport, Easton, Monroe, Wilton, and redding. If you need a probate attorney in Bridgeport, we can refer you to competent counsel).
As your legal counsel, we will help you at each state of the probate process. If you are an estate executor, we will help you understand your fiduciary duties. If you are beneficiary, we can help you understand your inheritance rights.
We also offer a range of additional probate and estate services that includes:
Estate Administration
When a family member dies, dealing with his or her estate can feel overwhelming during your time of grief. Was there a will or trust? Who will notify the heirs? How do you pay estate debt? What about estate taxes? These are all important questions — and a qualified attorney can help you understand the answers.
To properly administer an estate, complex financial and legal requirements must be met. And in many cases, the probate court will be involved in the process. When you work with Ganim Legal, P.C., we will handle all of these moving parts so you don’t have to.
We offer comprehensive estate administration services that address the complete needs of our clients. Our competencies include:
- Validating wills
- Appraising property
- Notifying beneficiaries
- Paying creditors
- Paying estate taxes
- Advising estate administrators
- Advising trustees and fiduciaries
- Distributing non-probate assets
- Representation in probate court
If there is a conflict with a will, trust or the estate, we are also ready to represent you during probate litigation.
Our practice is led by Attorney Paul Ganim. He has nearly 25 years of legal experience and has been an elected Probate Judge in Bridgeport for more than 15 years. Due to his judicial role, Paul Ganim cannot represent clients whose matters appear before the Bridgeport Probate Court (but we can refer you to another law firm that can help). However, our lawyers practice before all other probate courts in Connecticut, including those in Fairfield, New Haven, Stamford, Norwalk, Trumbull, Westport, Easton, Monroe, Wilton and Redding
Probate Litigation
It is an emotional time when someone close to you has died. It can be even more difficult when your family faces a dispute involving the will, trust or estate. In some cases, a creditor will bring a claim against the estate for payment. In other cases, a family member may contest the validity of the will. And in many instances, a beneficiary may feel the trustee has violated a fiduciary duty.
Regardless of the position you are in, Ganim Legal, P.C., is here to help.
During your initial consultation, Attorney Paul Ganim will review your legal circumstances and advise on the best options for moving forward with your probate dispute. Our entire team will work diligently to resolve your legal matter fairly and in accordance with the law, while at the same time protecting your rights. While mediation can often be the best method for obtaining favorable results, we are always prepared to bring your case to trial if an alternative agreement cannot be reached.
Our lawyers handle a wide range of probate litigation matters, including those involving:
- Claims against the estate
- Breach of fiduciary duty
- Will contests
- Trust litigation
Attorney Paul Ganim is highly respected for his probate and probate litigation work. He has nearly 25 years of experience and has been an elected Probate Judge in Bridgeport since 1998. Due to his judicial appointment, Paul Ganim cannot represent clients whose matters appear before the Bridgeport Probate Court, but we can refer you to an attorney who can. However, our law firm does provide legal representation for clients appearing in all other Connecticut probate courts, including those in Fairfield, New Haven, Stamford, Norwalk, Trumbull, Westport, Easton, Monroe, Wilton and Redding.
Whether you seek to initiate a probate litigation action or need to defend against one, contact our law firm at 203-864-6625 for help. Our Connecticut probate litigation attorneys offer free consultations to all prospective clients.
As the executor or administrator of an estate, one of the most important duties you will have is to pay any outstanding estate debts or taxes, using the estate’s assets. This must be done before any distributions are made.
If you need a Connecticut lawyer handling estate taxes, we encourage you to contact our law firm at 203-864-6625 to learn more. We can help ensure proper payment of estate debt/taxes and protect you from any personal liability.
Estate Planning
At Ganim Legal, P.C., we have helped Connecticut residents with the complex process of estate planning. While no one wants to consider a time when they are not alive, proactive steps are necessary to provide peace of mind to family members left grieving a tragic loss.
Having a will, trust, conservatorship and power of attorney in place puts you in control of your assets and beneficiaries. Without clear directions, distribution of your assets must follow state law. Regardless, grieving family members must fill out complicated forms while adhering to strict deadlines and legal procedures.
End-of-life planning is complicated and emotionally charged. Health care directives and powers of attorney provide you a “voice” when you are incapacitated and unable to communicate. Loved ones are left to question your wishes as they exist in a formal legal document.
For nearly 25 years, Paul Ganim has provided individualized representation to our clients seeking help with the drafting and review of wills, trusts and conservatorships. The founder of our firm spends time with clients to discuss the family dynamic and identify specific needs and goals. From there, he tailors strategies in selecting the best way to achieve those objectives.
In probate court, the founder of our firm continues his dedicated advocacy to ensure that the wishes of the deceased are carried out. Mr. Ganim navigates his clients through the process while striving to keep family conflict minimal and, if necessary, those breaching their fiduciary duty accountable.
Contact Attorney Paul Ganim
Contact Bridgeport estate planning lawyer Paul Ganim and his staff at 203-864-6625 for a free consultation to discuss your specific needs. You can also fill out our online intake form.
TEN REASONS YOU NEED A PROBATE LAWYER
A probate attorney can help you draft your will. While you might be tempted to use a DIYI will it make more sense to have your Last Will and Testment drafted by a professional, like Paul Ganim. That’s the best way to ensure that it does what you needm while reducing the chance that a court will declar your document invalid when you pass away.
Lawyers can help to minimize family conflict. Probate can be a time of great conflict in families, especially when the terms of a will are less favorable than some heirs might wish. Paul Ganim can help to reduce these tensions and facilitate a smoother probate process for everyone involved in the settlings of the estate.
A lawyer can help to protect the esate against legal claim. Legal calimes against estates occur more frequently than many people realize. From creditor claims to will contests, the probate process can be a magnet for those seeking to gain advantage from the death of a testor. When you hire Paul Ganim, you can gain the protection you need to ensure that the decedent’s wishes are properly respected.
Lawyers can sometimes expedite probate. The probate process can sometimes get bogged down in details, especially when the estate settlement is being managed by an inexperienced executor with little financial or legal knowledge. While attorneys don’t have any magic formula that can suddenly bring probate to a conclusion , they can be invaluable aid for reducing the impact of all the many obstacles that may present themselves during the process.
Lawyers can help answer your probate question. Wheher you’re or an heir with an interest in the process. Paul Ganim can help to get your questions answered. The fact is the probate can be confusing time for everyone involved, and that confusion is magnified by the raw emotion that the death of a loved one always evokes. Paul Ganim can help to ensure that understand the process and know what to expect.
An attorney can help with court filings and technical details. Executors have may different responsibilities to fullfill, and many of those duties include important court fillings that faciliate different aspects of the process. While you can draft those documents yourself, the stress of just losing a loved a one might that task something you’d pefer to avoid. Paul Ganim can also help to ensure that you understand some of the finer technical points during probate, so that you don’t make needless mistakes.
Attorneys help to ensure that debts are properly paid. Executors sometimes struggle with the debt settlement part of the probate process and may even cause unnecessary delays by being overly cautious. That’s understandable, since no executor wants to release inheritances only to see creditors come in later with unsettled debts that need to be addressed. There are specific timelines for these processes, though, and Paul Ganim can help to ensure that you don’t delay one day longer than the law requires.
Lawyers can help with specific specialty needs. There’s more to settling an estate than just settling debts and passing out bequests. There are a host of processes that can require specialized skills. Assets sometimes need to be appraised. An accurate accounting of probate activities needs to be prepared, including financial transactions. Various legal issues arise during many probate processes. Paul Ganim can help you to get the help you need to resolve these issues with a minimum of stress and fuss.
An attorney can help an executor protect his interests. If you’re an executor, then you also need to understand that your personal interests could be at risk if you make an error that results in losses for the beneficiaries. Yes, there have been instances in which executor errors have resulted in legal action from heirs. Though having an attorney cannot guarantee that no disgruntled heirs will sue you, it can help to ensure that you make sound decisions that limit the potential for mistakes that could place your personal wealth at risk
The probate lawyer can help to relieve stress and simplify the process. Let’s face it; when a loved one dies, the last thing that any of us want to do is go through a complicated and drawn-out legal process to settle the estate. It’s necessary, though, since debts must be settled, and assets must be passed on. The good news is that you don’t have to endure that stress on your own, or deal with the complexities without professional help.
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