Upon death, your property passes into the estate, unless it was in trust or jointly owned. The probate process determines how that property is to be distributed.
This process has its benefits and its costs. Probate provides a forum in which a family can air concerns and work out differences. But it can also aggravate those issues, taking time and money before the matter is resolved.
Many estate planning attorneys assist their clients to avoid probate altogether, if possible - a strategy that requires careful review of all current and potential assets.
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A good estate-planning attorney can prepare us for the inevitable. Our demise, whether slow or sudden, is not a subject we tend to dwell on in our busy lives. Setting aside the time to address our death can be low on our list of priorities. But when pushed, most...