What are some things that paralegals do in the are of probate law?

What kinds of responsibilities to paralegals working in the field of probate law have???

Probate paralegals are responsible for managing the probate administration of an estate from start to finish. From gathering the decedent's biographical information, determining who the heirs or beneficiaries are, determining the estate assets, filing the petition for probate, sending formal notice to the heirs/beneficiaries and creditors, negotiating/settling creditor claims, conducting the estate inventory, liquidating assets if need be, making proper distribution to the heirs/beneficiaries and closing the estate. Probate law is very technical with a lot of important deadlines that must be tracked very carefully. Additionally, the heirs/beneficiaries will be anxious to receive their inheritance and will require a certain amount of 'hand holding'.

Probate administration becomes even more complex if there are undetermined heirs that need to be dealt with, a defective Will, conflicting Will provisions, devises to a Trust, excess devises to minor children which require establishment of a Guardianship, or in the worst case scenario, a Will contest that devolves into protracted litigation.

There is a great deal of client interaction, which can be very emotional, and a paralegal often plays the unintended role of confidant, counselor, and therapist. You will see the best and worst of people: gifts to charity, dysfunctional families that turn what should be a straightforward administration into the 'last stand' to air family grievances, bequests to mistresses, disinherited immediate family, manipulation, greed, avarice. Each estate gives you a birds'-eye view into the life of the deceased. Some you will wish you had been able to know while they were alive b/c they led such interesting, productive lives; others, you'll see the legacy of destruction and damage they've left behind.

I enjoyed my years in probate/estate planning & learned a lot, both substantively and procedurally. However, after 5 years of the intense client contact, I needed a change.