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 ...

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 ...

Quick Read Probate attorney fees are calculated as a percentage of estate value. Some estates lose over $100,000 to court ...

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 ...

Inheritance Funding reports that probate delays can be minimized by personal representatives through clear communication, timely document handling, and organized estate management.

To continue reading this content, please enable JavaScript in your browser settings and refresh this page. Probate is the court-supervised process by which a deceased ...

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 ...

Many people assume that creating a Last Will and Testament is the final step in protecting their family and their assets.

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 ...