Probate, or estate administration, is the broad term that is used for a variety of procedures to gather a decedent’s assets, pay their debts/creditors and transfer property to their beneficiaries or heirs.
Must the executor use the decedent’s attorney that drafted the will?
No, there is no requirement that the attorney who drafted the will be the attorney who probates the will.
The executor is free to hire the attorney of his or her choice. If the drafting attorney still has possession of the original will and refuses to release it to the executor, Law Offices of GP Schoemakers, PLLC can file a motion with the probate court compelling the drafting attorney to surrender the will to the court.