Probate is the legal process for distributing your property after you die. Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising partners who compensate us when you take certain ...

When someone dies without a will and leaves behind debt, the decision to administer the estate can carry real financial risk.

Are you dithering about preparing your will? If you die without one, the state will make all of the calls on where your ...

Suzanne is a content marketer, writer, and fact-checker. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance degree from Bridgewater State University and helps develop content strategies. FG Trade / Getty ...

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 ...

Christy Bieber has a JD from UCLA School of Law and began her career as a college instructor and textbook author. She has been writing full time for over a decade with a focus on making financial and ...

One of the most effective tools in the estate planning process is a trust, which can offer significant advantages-including the ability to bypass the often lengthy and costly probate process. Trusts, ...

Probate is the legal process of formally recognizing a will after a person dies, naming or validating an executor to administer the estate, and distributing assets to intended beneficiaries. It also ...

In effect, probate functioned as a pre-emptive filter, forcing scrutiny at the planning stage, before property or assets were ...