DOES A WILL GUARANTEE MY ESTATE AVOIDS PROBATE?

 

NOT ALWAYS - BUT HAVING A WILL MINIMIZES TIME AND COST.

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While it’s possible that having a clear will in place can help your chances of avoiding probate, having a will does not guarantee that your estate will avoid probate. However, if your estate ends up in probate, having a will can make settling your estate much simpler, quicker, and with the results, you intended.

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WHY DO YOU NEED A WILL? BE CLEAR ABOUT YOUR LEGACY.

 

Having a will helps ensure that the people and possessions you care about most are taken care of while also helping reduce unnecessary stress for your loved ones in a difficult time. If you pass away without a will, you have died intestate, which means your property will be distributed according to the laws of whatever state you were living in at the time of your death. A court will decide how your possessions are distributed if you die without a will. This scenario often leads to many negative and unintended consequences that could have been avoided with a properly structured will.

 

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WHAT IS PROBATE? LEARN WHAT IT IS - AND HOW TO AVOID THE HEADACHES.

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Probate is the legal process of settling a deceased person’s estate. The probate process aims to provide a framework for settling the departed person’s affairs in an organized, legal manner. Having a will can make this process much easier or possibly avoid it altogether. However, whether a person dies testate or intestate (with or without a will), probate is possible. ‍

 

An estate doesn’t always have to go to probate, though. It mostly depends on what types of assets are in the estate and the total value of those assets. Certain assets don’t go through probate and can be passed directly to the named beneficiary. Life insurance proceeds, bank accounts, retirement plans, and other assets with a beneficiary designation fall into this category.

 

READY TO LEARN MORE?

 

Schedule a 15-minute free consultation with a specialist