When a loved one passes away an estate is supposed to be opened within six (6) months of the date of death. There are many ways however that probate can be avoided with proper estate planning. Depending on what is in an estate prior to death will dictate how involved the court will be. There is a very simple probate procedure when an estate is valued under $75,000. Unfortunately, there may also be disagreements in a family when someone passes away as to the distribution of assets. The Law Office of Audra Simovitch has over twenty-five years of practice in the area of probate litigation call us if you need to probate an estate or if you did not get your fair share of the estate.