Relating to decedents' estates and other matters involving probate courts.

Contracts

• Retainer Agreements: Update standard engagement letters to explicitly categorize "courier and qualified delivery fees for venue transfer" as client-billable expenses. The applicant, not the court, now bears this specific cost.
• Vendor Agreements: Review agreements with third-party paralegal or document preparation services. Ensure they are contractually obligated to use updated 2025 statutory forms.

Hiring/Training

• Intake Staff Training: Intake teams must be trained to collect marriage licenses, pre-nuptial agreements, and asset tracing documents immediately upon client engagement. You can no longer wait for a contest to determine property characterization.
• Process Server Coordination: Establish a "rush" protocol with process servers. Temporary Administrators now have a hard 7-day deadline to file proof of service after letters are issued; standard service timelines will cause non-compliance.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

• Inventory Forms (Critical): You must redraft the "Inventory, Appraisement, and List of Claims." The new form must:
• 1. Explicitly state if the decedent was married.
• 2. Include a specific column/designation for every asset line item indicating "Separate" or "Community" property.
• Transfer Receipts: Maintain physical proofs of delivery (Certified Mail/FedEx receipts) for transferred wills to prove the file was perfected in the transferee court.

Fees & Costs

• Venue Transfer: The applicant must pay the cost of the "qualified delivery method" (e.g., commercial courier or certified mail) to move the original will. This is a new, specific upfront cost.
• Cost Impact: Low overall, but failure to allocate these costs to the client will result in firm leakage.