Probate Initiation: An interested party, often a family member or creditor, petitions the probate court to open an intestate estate. Appointment of Administrator: The court appoints an administrator ...

Estate planners need to rethink how they draft choice of situs provisions as reforms finally modernize 55-year-old trust law ...

The loss of someone close is an upsetting time that can be stressful and confusing from the start. In addition, when the aftermath involves settling an estate, the chaos seems to go from bad to worse.

3. State probate rules and processing time Some states have longer, more complex probate processes, which can result in lower advance percentages, since companies need to wait longer for repayment and ...

Many people create a revocable living trust for one major reason—avoiding probate. A trust can also provide privacy and smoother administration, but probate avoidance is usually at the top of the list ...

In presentations regarding essential actions individuals should take regarding inheritance, emphasis is usually placed on drafting a will. This leaves unanswered what happens to assets that do not ...