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, ...

Any amendments, modifications or changes to your trust in the future may require the assistance of an estate lawyer. The ...

Forbes Advisor asked nearly two dozen financial and real estate experts whether a primary residence was a good investment. Several of the respondents, 57 percent, said that buying a house is a good ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Before you invest time and money into probate avoidance strategies, it's worth taking a step back to understand whether this ...

Of all the questions that we encounter, “should we avoid probate, no matter what?” is the most popular. The direct answer to that question is “no, absolutely not.” However, the better question for ...

Probate can be a lengthy process, and cost your beneficiaries more than it should. It’s the process of distributing your assets if you haven’t properly planned out your finances for when you pass away ...

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, ...

Q. How can we avoid probate and reduce the estate tax for our beneficiaries, who are our two adult children? We know about payable on death (POD) bank accounts. Is it better to put our two houses in ...