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 — the court-supervised process of distributing a deceased person's estate — is public, slow, and expensive. For many people, avoiding probate entirely is one of the primary goals of estate ...

Strategies used to avoid probate can unintentionally override other parts of an estate plan. Here's how to ensure your loved ...

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, ...

We constantly hear from advisors that we should plan our affairs in such a way as to avoid probate. What does the phrase mean and what property is subject to the probate process? What planning is ...

When you pass away without a proper pre-prepared strategy to transfer assets, these can go through a complex legal process known as probate. Here’s how that works. An executor files a petition with ...

Unlike a will, a living trust does not go through probate, which can save time and reduce legal costs. This can help ...

A will does not avoid probate, though there exists a common misconception that it does. In fact, a will is a tool that is often used during the probate process to direct how assets are distributed ...

BUFFALO, N.Y. — In 2 Your Money this week, which is sponsored by the Stamm law firm, the attorneys are talking about why they encourage their clients to avoid probate. "The time, the energy, the ...

Michelle Ogata, Principal Attorney at Estate Planning Partners Hawaii, recently joined Kay Mukagawa of Engel and Volkers for a brand new edition of Living Akamai to shed light on probate and how to ...