Finding an attorney who is a “real person” can be difficult. Many attorneys surround themselves almost exclusively with other attorneys and are accustomed to speaking in ivory tower legalese. You should be able to connect with your attorney on a personal level, and he or she should speak to you in plain language that you can understand. You will be working very closely with this person on issues that are very important to you. It is important that he or she be down-to-earth and someone that you connect with.
The most common complaint that clients have of their attorneys is that the attorney is unreachable, does not communicate with them regularly, or does not promptly return your calls. Your attorney should reach out to you about your case regularly and respond within 24 hours to calls and e-mails. An open line of communication between you and your attorney is essential to building trust.
Learn how we service your area through our Remote Location Approach.
Your attorney’s goal should not be to win at all costs. Rather, it should be to achieve a favorable outcome for you as efficiently as possible. It is important that your attorney set realistic expectations at the outset as to the costs you should expect, the concerns that the attorney has about the outcome of your case, and the length of time that you should expect your case to take.
Regardless of the nature of your case, we have an experienced attorney who will focus on your individual needs. Our team of attorneys works closely together, bringing each of their different fields of experience to bear in order to optimize our client care.
Kevin's firm handled setting up my will and trust recently. They took something that seemed intimidating and made it easy to understand. I've also referred a couple clients to Kevin - he's trustworthy, approachable and very fairly priced.
"I've used Kevin and his firm's services since 2011. He gave undivided attention to my cases, advised me on different options and..."
"Kevin was extremely professional, responsive and knowledgeable when I came to him for help. I would definitely recommend O'Flaherty Law!"
We Are Cost Effective! We understand that the last thing you and your family need at this difficult time is expensive legal fees. Our experienced Polk County attorneys will handle your probate matter efficiently and effectively. We are proud of our affordable rates!
We Go Above-And-Beyond For You And Your Family! At O'Flaherty Law, we have a singular focus on providing experienced legal work and excellent service to our clients. Many of our clients have taken the time to write us glowing testimonials after being assisted by our Polk County probate attorneys. In 2016 we were the recipient of the Avvo Client's Choice Award. Kevin O'Flaherty was honored to receive the Best Under 40 Award from Suburban Life Magazine in 2015. We have built a reputation for making every client's experience with our firm a positive one, despite the difficult times that we are helping them navigate.
We Are Comprehensive! Probate cases often intersect with other areas of law that other probate attorneys are not capable of handling. Our team of Polk County attorneys collectively have experience in nearly every area of law, and we take a collaborative approach to ensure that the best legal mind is focused on whatever issue may arise in your probate matter. Whether your probate case requires experience in real estate, family law, business law, or litigation, we have the resources to handle the issue in house to make sure you are getting the best representation possible.
Learn how we service your area with our Remote Location Approach.
The purpose of a consultation is to determine whether our firm is a good fit for your legal needs. Although we often discuss expected results and costs, our attorneys do not give legal advice unless and until you choose to retain us.
Schedule a ConsultationLearn More About The Firm2716 Grand Ave., Ste. 2
Des Moines, IA 50312
I am personally committed to ensuring that each one of our clients receives the highest level of client service from our team. Our mission is to provide excellent legal work in a cost-effective manner while maintaining open lines of communication between our clients and their attorneys. Many of our clients are going through difficult times in their lives when they reach out to us. They should feel comfortable leaning on the experience and knowledge of our attorneys as their counselors and advocates. We are here to help!
In this video, our Polk County probate attorneys explain that probate is the official manner in which an estate is settled under supervision of the court. When a person dies without an established will, an executor is appointed (typically a surviving spouse or adult child of the deceased) to gather and value owned assets, settle remaining debts, and distribute assets to heirs. Probate prevents fraud and theft after a death. Without it, debts could go unpaid and assets could be improperly distributed. Iowa estates that exceed the small estate threshold, have no will, or have a will but no living trust will require probate before the estate can be transferred to beneficiaries.
In this video, our Polk County probate attorneys explain how in Iowa, there are laws that allow some shortcuts through probate for small size estates. These rules make it easier for surviving family members to transfer property left by the deceased. In many circumstances, you may be able to transfer a majority of property using simple procedures, avoiding probate court all together, by using an affidavit. This saves everybody time, money and additional hassle. Iowa has procedures to allow those inheriting property to skip probate all together if the value of the assets left by the deceased is below a certain sum. If they meet the threshold, all someone inheriting property will need to do is have an affidavit drafted stating that they are entitled to a certain asset. Iowa also has a simplified probate process for small estates. To qualify, the executor must file a written request with the local probate court requesting the simplified procedure. The court will then look over the estate documents and determine whether the assets can be distributed with the simplified process. In Iowa, the simplified estate process can be used if the gross value of the estate is under $100,000.
In this video our Polk County estate attorneys explain the recent changes to Iowa state and probate. The Iowa State Legislature modified a Iowa Law as it relates to the transfer of real estate. A “transfer” under Iowa Law, for the purposes of real estate disclosures, is the transfer or conveyance by sale, exchange, real estate contract, or any other method by which real estate and improvements are purchased, if a property includes at least one but not more than four dwelling units. A written disclosure usually must be given by the transferor to the person interested in being transferred the real property.
The legislature created provisions for the creation of directed trusts. In traditional trusts, the trustee is the only party responsible for managing and diversifying investments. In directed trusts, the trustee is responsible for administrative duties, but another party manages the underlying assets and is responsible for how the investments perform. The new law creates methods for appointing trust directors and protectors through the creating instrument, who have fiduciary powers.