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Probate

4 posts tagged Probate, newest first.

What Is Probate and How Can You Avoid It?

Probate is the court-supervised process of settling a deceased person's estate: validating the will, paying debts, and distributing assets. Many people avoid it because it is slow, costly, and public. Living trusts, beneficiary designations, joint ownership, and payable-on-death accounts can pass assets outside probate.

July 21, 2026Read

The Probate Process Explained: Small Estate Affidavits, Full Administration, and the Typical Timeline

Probate is the court-supervised process of transferring a decedent's assets. This post explains when a small estate affidavit can substitute, how full administration works, and the typical timeline from death to distribution.

June 14, 2026Read

How to write a basic will: required elements, witnesses, and self-proving affidavits

A valid will requires a few specific elements that every state recognizes. This post covers capacity, intent, signature, witnesses, self-proving affidavits, and the choices that determine whether a will controls or whether state intestacy law does.

June 11, 2026Read

Wills vs. Trusts vs. Nothing: A Plain-English Decision Tree

Most adults do not have a will. The default rules (intestate succession) often produce results the deceased would not have chosen. A simple decision tree helps a healthy adult pick between a will, a revocable living trust, and a hybrid arrangement based on family structure, asset complexity, and state.

June 6, 2026Read