Learn how probate validates a will, pays debts, and distributes assets to heirs. State intestacy laws apply when there is no ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Matthew F. Erskine is a trusts and estates attorney. Probate is a term that often sends shivers down the spine of those unfamiliar ...

Christy Bieber has a JD from UCLA School of Law and began her career as a college instructor and textbook author. She has been writing full time for over a decade with a focus on making financial and ...

Grieving the loss of a loved one is hard enough, and families are lucky if they're able to prepare in advance for the worst. What most families aren't prepared for, though, are the predatory calls and ...

Greg DePersio has 13+ years of professional experience in sales and SEO and 3+ years as a writer and editor. skynesher / Getty Images Though your will is not public during your lifetime, after you die ...

Before you invest time and money into probate avoidance strategies, it's worth taking a step back to understand whether this ...

Probate handles asset distribution post-death; having a will simplifies this process. Assign beneficiaries for assets like life insurance to bypass probate. Creating a trust can avoid probate, ...

Putting everything you own into a living trust can feel like the safest way to help your kids skip probate, but some assets ...

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Mark Grant’s mother passed away in 2022, leaving a fairly typical estate: a family home, a handful of bank ...

Probate is the legal process for distributing your property after you die. Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising partners who compensate us when you take certain ...

If you’re named as an executor in a loved one’s will, you’ll be responsible for sorting out their affairs and sharing out their assets. This process is known as estate administration. This generally ...