» 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 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

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

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

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

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

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

Maybe it was Patti LaBelle who asked, “Hey Joe, you wanna give it a go?”* But it seems it was Aretha Franklin who has left even more compelling questions after her death regarding what will happen to her estate based on three separate handwritten… Read More