Probate is the legal process through which a person’s estate is settled and distributed. During probate, the court oversees the payment of debts and taxes, identifies the rightful heirs and helps ensure the transfer of assets according to the terms of a will or...
Some people don’t feel comfortable discussing their estate plan with their loved ones. Sometimes it’s the loved ones who don’t want to talk about a time when their parents or other older relatives won’t be around. This is how people end up inheriting things they don’t...
When a loved one dies, their estate is usually managed by an executor appointed in the deceased’s will. The executor’s role is to distribute the estate assets according to the deceased’s wishes and in compliance with state law. However, suppose the executor is found...
The value of your belongings, how much effort you invested in estate planning and your family relationships will all influence how stressful and complex the administration of your estate will become. Testators could have challenges brought against their estates after...
Estate planning is a deeply personal process in which someone must think about their life and their loved ones to make decisions about who will inherit from their estate when they die. Such personal decisions should be a reflection of someone's values and closest...
You're thinking about disinheriting someone. At the same time, you know that this makes it more likely that they're going to challenge your will. They're not going to be happy when they find out that you didn't leave them anything, and they may enter a dispute by...
If you have lost a loved one and were caught off-guard by changes in their will, you may be wondering if it’s worth trying to contest the will. When a will isn’t what you remember or what you were told it would be, it makes sense to have questions and to investigate...
An executor is a person charged with overseeing the passage of an estate to the beneficiaries. If your loved one left a will, they likely appointed an executor who was someone they trusted enough to carry out their last wishes. However, soon after taking over the...
When someone that you are close to dies, you may inherit property from their estate. Parents and grandparents are among those who frequently provide an inheritance to their descendants. You may have certain expectations regarding your inheritance when a family member...
Following the death of your loved one, it can be a shock to your system to find out that you were excluded from their will. The most important thing, in that situation, is keeping your cool and making informed decisions about what to do next. It may or may not be...
