Probate Administration.

We provide comprehensive support to guide families through the legal complexities of settling an estate efficiently and compassionately.

Grief is hard.
Let us help.

Have you lost a friend or loved one recently and need to transfer assets that were in their name to someone else? Let us handle the technicalities to give you space and time to grieve the loss of their life and all they meant to you.

Let's Meet

Seagulls flying over ocean waves at sunrise with a sandy beach in the foreground and a blue sky with clouds.

WHAT WE DO

How We Help.

Probate administration is the process of assigning a representative to stand in a deceased person's place under the law to settle all of their personal and financial affairs for which they were responsible before their death.

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Identifying Assets
What assets did the deceased own in their name alone? Bank accounts? Vehicles? Houses? We help create a list of all of the assets that a deceased person had and provide the apppropriate valuation for the courts.
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Identifying Debts
Did your loved one die with credit card debt, vehicle loans, child support payments or a mortgage? We help make sure these responsibilities are taken care of and the assets of the estate are organized and paid in the right order. It is very important to make sure debts are paid in accordance with the laws of the state in which the person died, or the person paying the bills may become liable for mishandling the funds.
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Identifying Personal Representative/Executor
Who has the authority to stand in the place of the deceased person and make all of the decisions for their affairs? If there was a will in place, the will controls, as long as it is valid. If there was no will, the state law for the place the person lived before death controls. We help determine this question and obtain all necessary consents, etc. in order to appoint the person who should be serving.
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Appointing Guardians Of Children And Obtaining Family Allowances
If someone dies with minor children alive or a spouse, the law provides for a certain amount of their estate to be set aside for the benefit of their spouse or minor children, but specific steps have to be taken in order to ensure this is done correctly. We are familiar with each step of the process and can make sure that the most important responsibilities of the deceased are provided for before any debts are paid.
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Handling Disputes Over Documents Or Assets
Sadly, the difficult emotions that surround death can bring out the worst in people, and family members or friends of the deceased can begin fighting over things. We are here to bring a peaceful resolution to issues surrounding an estate. We also can assist with identifying and resolving issues surrounding someone's will, such as improper signatures and/or witnesses or lack of an original document.

HOW IT WORKS

Our Process.

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STEP #1

Contact us. Schedule a Peace of Mind probate meeting to discuss your situation.

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STEP #2

Meeting: We will meet either in person or by Zoom or phone call to discuss your issue in further detail and determine whether we can help you resolve your legal need.

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STEP #3

Engagement: We will send you an engagement agreement with our agreed upon price and terms of service. When we receive the signed engagement letter and initial deposit, we will get to work!

Frequently Asked Questions.

Presently, our firm is primarily focused on estate planning and probate administration, but Rachel has an extensive history in criminal and traffic law. We are in the process of expanding our practice to include bankruptcy and some limited immigration assistance as well. If you have a legal need, call us and if we don't handle it, we will send you referrals to some great attorneys who do!
A famous quote says it well, "A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one." Rachel boasts a variety of legal experience over her fifteen year career serving her community as a lawyer. She has served as a judicial law clerk (courtroom procedure), an assistant county attorney (government work), an assistant State's attorney (prosecution), a panel public defender (criminal defense) and an administrative lawyer with Maryland Legal Aid (public benefits issues). She has also worked with debt collection and landlord tenant issues. She is well connected within the legal communities of the Lower eastern shore and has maintained an excellent reputation among her peers and clients.
It starts with a phone call or email! Reach out to us and tell us what your legal issue is. We will identify if it's something we can help with. If we can't, we will give you some names of lawyers we know to be reputable and competent in that field. If we can help, we will set up an in depth meeting to go over the details and determine the next steps based on your issue. It can be either over the phone, by video conference or in person. We pride ourselves on relatively quick turnaround times and superior service. The sooner you reach out to us, the sooner we can get you the services you need!
We get it- everyone wants to know the cost before you take the time to call! We aren't trying to be shady here, but it's really hard to put a pricetag on something that varies so much. We don't want to quote something low and get your hopes up if you have a complex issue. Neither do we want to put something high if we don't need that much to cover the work to do what has to be done! For that reason, we ask that you give us to the discovery call to come up with a price for your case. We do have some ideas of prices, but it's a lot easier to discuss them in person than post them on a website without managing expectations for what you get with each pricing option.
What we CAN promise is that we are fair and competitively priced. We operate our company based on Christian values and honesty and integrity are at the core of everything we do. We are transparent in our costs and have put a lot of time into balancing the need to keep our business running while still maintaining affordable legal solutions for our community. It is our desire that no one will have a legal need unmet because of lack of resources. We are well connected with several pro bono programs that we can put you in contact with if you cannot afford our services. So don't let the price stop you from calling!

At The Shore Lawyer, we pride ourselves on superior customer service with quick turnaround times. Different legal matters take different amounts of time, so we cannot give you a direct answer here, but we have invested a substantial amount into expedient processes to get you the best service in the shortest amount of time. We will give specific time expectations in our discovery call, so call today!
It depends on what kind of case you are calling us about! Estate planning packages certainly won't! If you have a probate administration need we hope not, although we do handle estate litigation issues on occasion. If you are contacting us for traffic or ciminal matters, trial will depend on the facts of the case and what your position is. If you maintain that you are not guilty of what you have been accused, then it is highly likely there may be a trial, depending on what the state's evidence is. We are not afraid to try cases! Rachel has extensive trial experience and will always do what she deems to be in her client's best interest. If you feel like you need a trial or are concerned about having one, make sure you discuss it with her and she will address any worries you have to put your mind at ease.
Rachel is only licensed to practice law in Maryland and Virginia. The laws of each state can vary widely, so what happens in one state may not be the same in another. For that reason, she cannot help with any issues that arise outside of Maryland or Virginia. She does have contacts with other lawyers all over the country, though, so if your issue is outside the State of Maryland and you need a referral, feel free to contact us.
At The Shore Lawyer we pride ourselves on being readily available for all of our clients. Our office hours are from 9-4:30 pm, but we can arrange meetings outside those parameters if it doesn't work with your schedule. If you call and we don't answer right away, expect a phone call returned within the same business day, or in extreme cases, the next business day. Also, feel free to email us! We try to respond to those fast, too!

READY TO BEGIN?

Talk To Rachel.

Contact us today to schedule a consultation and take the first step towards resolving your probate situation.

SCHEDULE A CALL