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The Probate Bond Experts
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We accept WhatsApp calls and messages at +1 216-374-4500. We are also available on KakaoTalk and LINE under the handle nagashimapavarini. For clients calling from within the United States on a US number, our toll-free number is +1-888-728-2746 (1-888-PAVARINI).
We have served clients from Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and across Asia, and we are proud to be a firm with deep ties to Asian communities. You are not an afterthought to us.
A US probate bond (also called a fiduciary bond or surety bond) is a court-required financial guarantee. When a US probate court appoints someone to manage, distribute, or protect assets in an estate, it almost always requires that person to obtain a bond before they can act. The bond protects beneficiaries and heirs by guaranteeing that the appointed person will fulfill their legal duties faithfully.
Foreign nationals become involved in US probate proceedings in several common situations:
In all of these situations, the US probate court will likely require a probate bond from whoever is appointed to manage the estate. That is where we help.
US surety companies generally require the person named on the bond (the fiduciary) to be a US resident. This means that if you live in Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, or Thailand, you typically cannot be issued a US probate bond directly as a non-resident. This is a standard industry rule, not something unique to our agency.
However, this does not mean you are out of options, and it does not mean we cannot help you. We regularly assist international families navigate around this obstacle, including:
In short, even if we cannot issue the bond to you directly as a non-resident, we can make your entire experience significantly easier and faster. Our knowledge of international estate situations means you will not be starting from zero.
US probate courts use different titles for the person managing an estate depending on the state and the circumstances. Each role typically requires its own bond. Here is a guide to the most common ones:
An executor bond (sometimes called an administrator bond or estate bond) is required when someone is appointed to administer a deceased person’s estate through probate. The executor or administrator collects assets, pays debts, and distributes the remainder to heirs. If the deceased was Japanese, Korean, Malaysian, Filipino, Thai, or another foreign national with US assets, a US court may open a probate proceeding and require this bond from whoever is administering the US portion of the estate.
Many US states use the term personal representative rather than executor or administrator. A personal representative bond functions identically to an executor bond. If the probate court order or court documents refer to a “personal representative,” the bond required is a personal representative bond. This is extremely common in states like Florida, which has a large population of international residents and foreign-owned US real estate.
A guardianship bond is required when a US court appoints a guardian to manage the person or finances of someone who cannot manage their own affairs, such as an elderly parent, an incapacitated adult, or a minor child. If a family member living in Japan, Korea, or the Philippines needs to be named as guardian over a US-based relative, the US court will almost always require a guardianship bond. Both adult guardianship bonds and minor guardianship bonds fall into this category.
This is one of the most common international probate situations we handle. A child who is a US citizen or who inherits US assets may have a minor guardianship bond (sometimes called a minor child conservatorship bond) required by the US probate court. This bond protects the child’s assets until they reach adulthood. If a parent in Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, or Thailand is named as guardian over a child’s US assets, the US court will require the guardian to obtain this bond. Because the guardian must typically be a US resident to be bonded, a US-based co-guardian appointment is sometimes necessary. We can walk you through this process.
A conservatorship bond is required when a court appoints a conservator to manage the financial assets of an incapacitated adult or, in some states, a minor child. The distinction between guardian and conservator varies by state: in general, a guardian manages the person while a conservator manages the finances. International families caring for elderly parents or incapacitated relatives with US assets frequently encounter this requirement.
If a US trust requires a court-supervised trustee to be bonded, a trustee bond may be ordered. This is less common than the others but does occur, particularly when a US trust has foreign-national beneficiaries and a court is overseeing the administration.
We are not a general insurance agency that happens to offer surety bonds. Probate court bonds are all we do. We issue more probate bonds in a week than most insurance agents issue in a year. That focus means that when you have an unusual or cross-border situation, we have almost certainly seen something similar before.
Beyond expertise, the reason Asian clients from Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand return to us and refer family members is simple: we are actually reachable.
We are a Veteran-Owned business with over 20 years of experience and a 5.0-star Google rating. Our firm, Nagashima Pavarini Ltd, has a name that reflects our genuine connection to Asian clients and communities. We take that seriously.
It depends on the state. Some US states allow a non-resident to serve as executor or personal representative; others require a resident co-executor or registered agent. Regardless of state law, a probate bond will almost always be required, and that bond generally requires the fiduciary to be a US resident for bonding purposes. An attorney licensed in the relevant US state can advise on the residency requirement; we can advise on the bond requirement and help coordinate once a bondable fiduciary is in place.
US real estate does not pass automatically to heirs when the owner dies, even if the owner’s home country would handle it differently. US probate must typically be opened in the state where the real estate is located. An executor, administrator, or personal representative will be appointed by the US court, and a probate bond will be required. We handle exactly this type of case regularly for families in Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and beyond.
The bond premium is a small percentage of the total bond amount, which the court sets based on the value of the estate assets. For most estates, the annual premium is between 0.5% and 1% of the bond amount. For a $100,000 estate, that is roughly $500 to $1,000 per year. Minor guardianship bonds are typically paid upfront for the entire period until the child turns 18. Contact us for a specific quote based on your situation.
Most bonds are issued the same day we receive completed information. We offer PDF/electronic delivery where courts accept it, and free 2-day FedEx shipping if a physical bond is needed. Court-imposed timelines can be stressful; getting the bond quickly is something we specialize in.
Yes. We assist international families regardless of country of origin. The US probate bond process is the same whether you are calling from Tokyo, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Bangkok, Singapore, Jakarta, or anywhere else. We are reachable on WhatsApp, LINE, and KakaoTalk, which makes communication across these time zones far more practical.
If you have received a court order, letters of administration, or any document from a US probate court requiring a bond, we can help you understand what it means and what to do next.
The fastest way to reach us is:
You can also send us a secure message through our website at any hour, and we will respond promptly.
We know US probate from the inside out. If you are dealing with a US estate, a US guardianship, a minor child’s US inheritance, or any other situation that has brought you to a US probate court, we are ready to help from wherever you are in the world.
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