A probate judge is an official of the county court system and a judicial official of the state who decides civil court cases that involve the probate process. Probate is the process of proving wills ...

When a person dies without proper planning, their estate enters a public legal process that can last months—sometimes ...

Can You Settle an Estate Without Probate? In certain situations, it is possible to settle an estate without going through probate. Assets held in joint ownership, assets with named beneficiaries (such ...

Next Avenue recently asked readers to tell us the estate planning questions they’d like us to answer. We’re now back with the experts’ views on the top question on your mind, plus — as a bonus — their ...

Estate planning is not just for the wealthy. Anyone with a bank account, house, car or other personal property should have a will. It is especially important if you have minor children in need of a ...

Probate handles asset distribution post-death; having a will simplifies this process. Assign beneficiaries for assets like life insurance to bypass probate. Creating a trust can avoid probate, ...

Most Americans know the folly of dying without a will. Under the widely different state formulas devised for such cases, a widow can lose one-half of her husband’s estate to his relatives. Equally ...

In financial law, an "estate" refers to all of the assets and property owned by someone who has died. However, this definition can have a few different applications depending on where in the estate ...

If you are the executor or administrator of someone's will, your job is to submit the will to the court for probate, if necessary, and to protect the deceased's property until all debts are paid and ...

The complex legal process of probate is the subject of a newly released article, “Navigating the Orlando Probate Process: What Every Executor Needs to Know“, featuring insights from Tom Moss, an ...