Alan Glassman: The registers of probate role should be brought back to help grieving families

To The Daily Sun,

The sole purpose of Constitutional Amendment Question 1 is to eliminate the position of register of probate. The only change in the amendment’s wording is the removal of the words “Registers of Probate” from the New Hampshire Constitution. The purpose of registers of probate was to help citizens of New Hampshire who had suffered a death in their family to file probate documentation to settle the estate. The intent was to avoid the necessity of hiring a costly attorney except for the most complicated probate cases.

A "no" vote is the first step needed to reinstate register of probate to an active position serving NH families in their time of grief.

In 2011, the NH Legislature utilized a “consent calendar” process where a number of bills were bundled together, including moving probate issues from registers of probate to the newly established circuit court clerks. As a result, when family members went to courthouses to file probate documentation, they were handed legal documents to fill out and return. When families were unable to complete the documents, they were advised to seek an attorney. The circuit court did attempt to streamline the process by implementing a probate computer system. Unfortunately, some elderly family members had difficulty utilizing the computer kiosks and were again advised to seek an attorney.

The 2011 legislation has created an unnecessary burden for NH families during their period of grief. It has complicated and elongated the probate process rather than simplifying it. Worse, it has caused families to incur the added expense of hiring an attorney for even simple probate filings. NH families with simple cases must have the ability to file their probate matters without incurring any additional expense for an attorney and further burdening the court system.

I urge you to vote "no" on Amendment Question 1.

Alan Glassman, Register of Probate

Center Barnstead