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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
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
Update Your Estate Plan t…

Update Your Estate Plan to Cover Pandemics

The World Health Organization (WHO) gave name to the disease causing the novel coronavirus outbreak on February 11, 2020. The coronavirus disease of 2019 shortly after became known by its abbreviation, CO for corona, VI for virus, D for disease, and… 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
woman looking at chalkboard with different words written on it and NOW written boldly

Seven Bad Excuses People Use to Put Off Estate Planning

Can’t we put off planning until we can afford it? My family and I don’t own much. You really shouldn’t. It is crucial to give legal authority to a person of your choice whether to make decisions for you in a medical crisis, to handle your finan… Read More
DIY estate planning can go wrong demonstrated with Wood letters of DIY and definition on wood background

Think Twice Before Tackling Estate Planning Documents on Your Own

A common question many people ask is: “Can’t I just grab a will off the internet, do a transfer-on-death deed for my land, put my kids on my bank account, and be done with my estate plan?” Yes, you can. But you should not. It’s just not a goo… Read More
Categories: Estate Planning
Couple meeting with attorney

Checking up on Your Estate Plan

You should be checking up on your estate planning documents every so often to make sure they’re still good—especially with big life changes like births, marriages, divorces, and moving to another state. Children grow up, marriages dissolve, prope… Read More