Most Americans know the folly of dying without a will. Under the widely different state formulas devised for such cases, a widow can lose one-half of her husband’s estate to his relatives. Equally ...

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 ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Probate is a largely misunderstood but generally feared concept. Over half of the respondents to a recent study said that they ...

One of the most effective tools in the estate planning process is a trust, which can offer significant advantages-including the ability to bypass the often lengthy and costly probate process. Trusts, ...

An irrevocable trust can maintain your wishes after you die, but it will cost you some flexibility. While a last will and ...

Jehan Crump-Gibson is an accomplished attorney and founder of her own law firm, Greal Lakes Legal Group, PLLC, specializing in business, real estate, and probate law. With over 16 years of experience, ...

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 ...

Florida homeowners often use 'Lady Bird' deeds to avoid probate, but they may not be the right fit for every family.

When you die, estate planners say, one of the finest gifts you can leave your heirs is a plan for avoiding probate. Probate is a legal process that distributes a dead person's assets and settles their ...

Q: My wife and I have wills naming each other as beneficiaries, with our children as alternates. We are trying to understand whether we should have a Transfer on Death Deed drafted and filed in order ...

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 ...

When a Virginian dies with assets such as a house, car, bank accounts and investments, these assets usually must go through probate before being distributed to heirs. The probate process ensures that ...