Explore formal probate, including its definition, necessity, key actors, process, benefits, and drawbacks. Learn strategies ...

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 ...

When a loved one passes away and you know you need to get the probate court involved, oftentimes people find themselves asking where they begin. Further, people often wonder if they must get an ...

My mom died just over a year ago, and I’m still knee-deep in probate. I’m barely average. The typical probate process to settle a will or the estate of somebody who dies without one takes 20 months, ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Matthew F. Erskine is a trusts and estates attorney. Probate Law: Judge's Gavel as a symbol of legal system, Themis is the goddess ...

One of the most common and expensive consequences of not having a will is the legal and court fees your heirs may face.

Probate is the process of proving a will and settling an estate after an individual (decedent) dies. The cost of probate depends on several factors. One of the most significant is the state in which ...

Without a will, your state probate court decides where your property goes after your death. Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising partners who compensate us when ...

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 ...

KLAMATH COUNTY, Ore. — An Ohio woman said her story serves as a cautionary tale – as she pushes law enforcement to investigate and prosecute whoever is behind an invalid will filed after her mom's ...

Most people have the wrong idea about probate, and don't fear it enough to do something to avoid it My mom died just over a year ago, and I'm still knee-deep in probate. I'm barely average. The ...