Probate Attorney Fees

[cjacobo]

Me and my brother lost both are parents in a car accident in '06. There was no will and so it went into probate. Probate has recently closed and we were billed over 11,000 dollars for the attorney. There is no money in the estate (all went to their two house's mortgages and credit and bills) so is my brother (the administrator of the estate) still liable for paying those fees if all the estates money is gone? It doesn't make since that he would be since every dime of the money that would have gone to us has gone to their debt. Please help!

 

[dee_dub]

Look to the retainer agreement. Probate lawyers are usually hired to work for the estate, not for the executor personally. So the estate is liable to pay the fees, and your brother personally is not.