What you get
- An editable Word document, drafted from your answers and the state's official text.
- A proof of sources: every citation in the draft with the words it quotes, the official source, the date the text was saved and its fingerprint.
- Notes for counsel listing each point marked [VERIFY], each blank and each choice left for the client.
What the intake asks
Plain questions, in the order an attorney would take the facts. Anything left blank stays a marked blank in the draft; nothing is invented to fill it.
The decedent
- Decedent's full legal name
- Death and domicile
- Court and estate
- Personal representative (executor or administrator)
- Personal representative's address and attorney
The notice
- Notice being given
- Hearing date, time and place
- Recipients
- Copy of the will
- Deadlines to state
- Proof of notice
Signature
- Signing attorney
- Other instructions or open decisions
Where it is offered
Every state Lawsmith has official sources for:
CaliforniaConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaMarylandMassachusettsNew JerseyNew YorkOhioPennsylvaniaTexasVirginia
Official sources on file
The drafter works from the texts Lawsmith has saved for this document in the state you choose, plus federal law where it applies. Each is read from the official publisher and dated.
| State | Sources for this document |
|---|---|
| California | 32 |
| Connecticut | 16 |
| Delaware | 15 |
| District of Columbia | 9 |
| Florida | 12 |
| Maryland | 19 |
| Massachusetts | 13 |
| New Jersey | 13 |
| New York | 13 |
| Ohio | 14 |
| Pennsylvania | 18 |
| Texas | 13 |
| Virginia | 15 |
Among them, for New Jersey:
- N.J.S.A. 3B:3-22 Time for probate of will; preliminary filing
- N.J.S.A. 3B:3-24 Where a will of a resident is to be probated; effect of failure to probate
- N.J.S.A. 3B:5-3 Intestate share of decedent's surviving spouse, partner in a civil union, domestic partner
- N.J.S.A. 3B:8-1 Elective share of surviving spouse, partner in a civil union, domestic partner
- N.J.S.A. 3B:23-4 Proposal of distribution; contents; time to object
How the draft is checked
Before it writes, the drafter must quote the official text behind each citation. Lawsmith compares every quotation with the text on file, character for character; a citation with no checked quotation reaches you marked [VERIFY]. The draft still needs your review before it is signed, filed or sent. How citations are checked
More probate & administration documents
Petition for Probate and LettersNotice to CreditorsEstate InventoryEstate AccountingSmall Estate AffidavitReceipt, Release and Refunding AgreementDisclaimer of InheritanceExecutor's Deed