Probate can be a real headache, and it’s something most folks want to dodge if they can. It’s not just about the red tape; it ...

Probating an estate is an expensive, time-consuming and sometimes adversarial affair. It is possible, and sometimes advisable, to avoid probate. With the help of an estate planner and, perhaps, an ...

Probate is the court procedure of proving a will after someone (the decedent) who has completed his or her last will and testament dies. If you have a will and pass away, you have passed away testate ...

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 ...

Your 401(k) doesn’t just disappear when you die. Here’s how it’s transferred, who gets it, the tax impact, and why ...

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 ...

Dealing with the death of a loved one is upsetting and stressful enough, but there are specific and sometimes complex rules to follow if you have been put in charge of managing their estate. The ins ...

One of the essential steps in the probate process is filing an inventory of all the assets that are part of the estate. This job is the responsibility of the executor, and it’s often no small feat. It ...

Probate is usually required when there's no will, the will needs validating or there are no named beneficiaries. Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising partners ...

Probate is known for being an unnecessarily complicated and lengthy procedure. Even when the estate being probated is fairly simple and straightforward, proceedings can go on for some time, depending ...