When you die, estate planners say, one of the finest gifts you can leave your heirs is a plan for avoiding probate. Probate ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Bob Carlson researches all facets of retirement finances. About 70% of U.S. adults don’t have a will or trust, according to ...

If you have ever been an executor of an estate or if you know someone who has had to deal with a probate estate, you likely know the probate process can be slow, cumbersome and expensive. Fortunately, ...

We constantly hear from advisors that we should plan our affairs in such a way as to avoid probate. What does the phrase mean and what property is subject to the probate process? What planning is ...

Probate is the legal process by which a deceased person's estate is settled. This includes validating their will (if any), paying off debts, and distributing assets as per the will or state law if ...

One of the biggest mistakes people make with estate planning is to assume that estate planning means getting a document. Whether it is a will, a revocable trust, living trust, or any other document, a ...

Don't let common inheritance myths derail your family's future. Learn the truths about taxes, wills, and assets so you can ...

Probate is the legal process of administering a Decedent’s Last Will & Testament (“Will”), whereby assets owned by the Decedent at death are distributed pursuant to the terms of their Will, or if ...

Probate is a largely misunderstood but generally feared concept. Over half of the respondents to a recent study said that they have no idea about the costs involved in probate, and that they perceive ...

Avoiding probate can save your beneficiaries time, reduce costs and protect their privacy while your estate is being settled. You can keep your Connecticut estate out of the probate court system by ...

Q: I am retired and unmarried, and I have three children who live in other states. They don't get along very well. I'm trying to avoid probate when I die so that there will be nothing my children need ...