Inside Probate: Tips from Cathy Montague's 37 Years in the Field

The Red Wagon Estate Planning & Elder Law Show

Jeff “inherited” probate paralegal Cathy Montague two years ago when Bellomo acquired a small elder law firm from a retiring attorney. It didn’t take long for Jeff and the team to recognize Cathy’s experience and value. And it didn’t take long for Cathy to embrace her new environment and colleagues.

Cathy sits down with Jeff to reflect on her long and impressive career. They discuss how sole ownership and probate can be a good financial planning strategy. Then Cathy shares what she has learned about dealing with families experiencing heightened stress and emotion in the wake of loss. In a more lighthearted story, she explains why a previous client paid in all $1 dollar bills!

What You Need to Know

(00:00) Episode Introduction

(03:25) Cathy began her career 37 years ago. She started doing a bit of everything—wills, powers of attorney, deeds, and the like—but eventually became a specialist in probate administration.

(06:35) Cathy finds great fulfillment in helping others. In addition to providing professional guidance and answering questions, she is determined to make this difficult time as easy as possible for folks.

(07:27) The probate process can take up to a year because the estate must be advertised with two different agencies per Pennsylvania law. Creditors have one year to submit a bill from the advertisement date.

(09:25) Sometimes people underestimate the stress that can come with losing a loved one and finalizing the estate. Other times, people are hesitant to complete the probate process because it can feel like letting go of their loved one.

(11:33) Cathy describes herself as someone who helps family members after their loved one has passed. She walks them through the process to ensure that they fulfill the activities and deadlines stipulated by Pennsylvania law.

(12:15) Probate administration is needed when the deceased owns assets in his/her name alone. It might seem more convenient to avoid probate by jointly owning all assets, but avoiding probate is not always a wise strategic move.

About Bellomo & Associates

Jeffrey R. Bellomo, the founder of Bellomo & Associates, is a licensed and certified elder law attorney with a master’s degree in taxation and a certificate in estate planning. He explains complex legal and financial topics in easy-to-understand language.

Bellomo & Associates is committed to providing education so that what happened to the Bellomo family doesn’t happen to your family. We conduct free workshops on estate planning, crisis planning, Medicaid planning, special needs planning, probate administration, and trust administration. Visit our website (https://bellomoassociates.com/) to learn more.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED

Bellomo & Associates workshops:https://bellomoassociates.com/workshops/

• Life Care Planning
• The Three Secrets of Estate Planning
• Nuts & Bolts of Medicaid

For more information, call us at [phone].

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WAYS TO WORK WITH JEFFREY BELLOMO

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