» Probate

Importance of Recording a Deed

Untangling Tangled Titles: Homeownership, Property Deeds, and Estate Planning

If you are currently living in a property that you inherited but the deed has not been transferred into your name, you may be surprised to learn that, under the law, you are technically not the owner. This legal situation is known as “tangled title… Read More
Categories: Probate
Judge standing behind podium with a judgement

Why You Might Want to Go through Probate

Avoiding probate is a common goal for individuals deciding how they want their money and property to be handled when they pass. It is a worthy one and is regularly promoted by estate planning attorneys across the nation. However, probate is not an in… Read More
Categories: Estate Planning, Probate
Probate court

Probate: How an Estate is Administered in Court

To process a decedent’s will it must go through a function called Probate, a method which judicial officials, including probate judges, process property. State laws may vary but the general process stays genuinely the same across the country. Read More
Last Will and Testament and Gavel

Understanding Probate

Probate is, at the basic level, the process of the court overseeing what happens with a person’s assets or belongings after a person dies. Officially, someone gathers the person’s assets and distributes them to the beneficiaries or heirs. That pe… Read More
A will provides instructions about who should receive a person’s money and property after the person’s death and who they would like to care for their dependents.

What Your Will Can and Can Not Do (Hint: It's Not a Magic Wand)

A will is a legally binding directive stating who will receive much of your property upon your death. Having a will allows you to appoint a legal representative or executor to carry out your bequests and name a guardian for your children. If you die… Read More
Estate Planning on a sticky note near calculator and reading glasses

Successfully Avoiding Probate Court

Many people have been told that it is important for people to “avoid probate.” Just because people may have heard that term, that doesn’t mean they know exactly what probate means, why it can be a problem, or how to successfully avoid it. In th… Read More
Categories: Probate
Probate in brown envelope and judges gavel

The Process of Probate

When someone passes away, there is an often-lengthy legal procedure. This involves a court overseeing the process of authenticating the will, reviewing the deceased’s assets, paying outstanding debts, and distributing the remaining property to the… Read More
sign and drive through teller and atm at a bank

Should You Add Your Child’s Name to Your Bank Account?

Even if you wanted to have another party available to keep track of bills when you’re sick or away, adding a child’s name to a bank account may be more of a hassle than it’s worth. Doing so may have unintended consequences for both you and the… Read More
Contesting a Will. Two people staring at each other across the table from one another

Legal Grounds for Contesting a Will

When a loved one dies with a well thought-out will, we think it should be easy to handle the estate. The will lays out who is to receive the person’s property and which person (called the executor (or the personal representative in Florida)) wi… Read More
Categories: Probate
Probate Law Book

What is the Role of a Probate Attorney?

Whether you are the executor or an heir of the probate estate, knowing the lawyer’s role is one of the first steps you should take at the beginning of the probate process. One of the biggest sources of conflict in probating the estate is understand… Read More