- How to Make a Will Without a Lawyer
A will is a basic tool of estate planning that tells your survivors what you want to be done with your possessions. Wills are legal documents and many are drafted by attorneys, but it is possible to make a will… read more…
- How Much Does Probate Cost?
Probate is the process of proving a will and settling an estate after an individual (decedent) dies. The cost of probate depends on several factors. One of the most significant is the state in which the decedent lived. The cost… read more…
- Differences of Beneficiary Designations vs. Wills
Some financial products like life insurance or tax-advantaged retirement accounts require you to name one or more beneficiaries. However, that’s not the case with many assets. For instance, you can buy a house or set up a savings account without… read more…
- Life Insurance Beneficiary vs. Will
Estate planning is crucial to leaving your beneficiaries with your possessions as you intend. However, life insurance beneficiaries can conflict with the terms in your will if you aren’t thorough. Your life insurance beneficiary designation usually supersedes your will. So… read more…
- Can a Power of Attorney Change a Will?
Power of attorney is one of the most important legal forms for estate and elder care planning. Along with wills and trust documents, it is a critical document for arranging one’s affairs. A power of attorney cannot change a properly written will.… read more…
- What Is a No-Contest Clause in a Will?
Estate planning can be complicated. You often need the services of a professional. Preparing a will is only one part of the estate planning process. When you are preparing your will, you need to decide whether or not a no-contest… read more…
- How to File an Estate Probate Inventory
One of the essential steps in the probate process is filing an inventory of all the assets that are part of the estate. This job is the responsibility of the executor, and it’s often no small feat. It involves determining… read more…
- Probate Bonds in Estate Planning
Creating an estate plan means you have control over what happens to your assets when you pass away. Naming an executor is an important step, as that person will be responsible for settling your estate and distributing your assets to… read more…
- How Long Does Probate Take?
If you own any property at all, you probably know about estate planning. You can decide what happens to your assets after you die, of course. But sometimes, people don’t pen a will or trust before they pass. Or, if… read more…
- How Much Does a Living Will Cost?
Confronting our health and what might happen to us someday is not an easy task. Even though estate planning is emotionally challenging, it’s a necessary step to protect yourself. Not only that, without any plans, your loved ones might face… read more…
- Estate Planning vs. Will: What’s the Difference?
A lot of people think that estate planning and writing a will are the same, but one is just part of the other. Simply put, an estate plan is a broader plan of action for your assets that may apply during your life as well as after your death. A will, on the other hand,… read more…
- How to Contest a Will Without a Lawyer
Most of the time, carrying out a dead person’s last wishes is fairly simple – their assets are divided as the deceased directed in the will, everyone grieves and then moves on, possibly with slightly heavier wallets. Occasionally, though, there will be a challenge to the will that has to be resolved. If you think… read more…
- What Are the Legal Rights of a Disinherited Child?
State laws may allow parents who are writing a will to disinherit one or more children. There are different reasons why a child may be disinherited. For example, if parents disagree about a child’s lifestyle choices, they may choose to leave them nothing in their will. Children can also be left out of a will if… read more…
- What Happens After Probate Is Closed?
Probate is the legal process of settling a person’s estate after they pass away. Even if a will is in place with detailed instructions, probate still occurs. During this process, several key steps take place, including creating an inventory of the estate, paying off outstanding debts and distributing the remaining assets to heirs. However, once… read more…
- What’s a Certified Probate Real Estate Specialist?
Unless your loved one puts their estate into a living trust or similar legal arrangement, the fact of the matter is that their assets will likely need to pass through probate when they die. Probate is a complicated, and usually lengthy, court process where assets are sold or distributed and any outstanding debts against the… read more…
- What Is a Probate Sale? – Estate Planning
More often than not, people want to leave their assets and property behind to people they care about when they pass. But sometimes individuals don’t make a will or die with debts. In such cases (among others), their property has… read more…
- How Do Probate Judges Administer Estates?
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 for those who have died with one (testate cases). A probate judge also oversees cases where a will has not… read more…
- How to Find Probate Records Online
Probate is the process of proving a will left by an individual. The individual is called a decedent in the legal language of probate administration and estate planning. The decedent is the deceased individual. If a will was not left by a decedent, then that decedent is said to have died intestate or without a… read more…
- Healthcare Proxy vs. Living Will: What’s the Difference?
Failing health often robs people of their agency. Whether due to age or illness, many hospital patients can’t effectively communicate their own wishes. For legal matters, this is handled through matters such as medical power of attorney, trusts and estates. This… read more…
- Living Will vs. DNR: Key Differences and When to Use Each
When planning for the future, it’s common to think of what you’ll do with your estate and assets. However, there is more to consider than just your financial situation. You have to take into account your health and well-being, too.… read more…
- Key Differences: Living Will vs. Last Will
Planning for the later years of your life is often an emotionally taxing experience. However, it’s often scarier to go into the end of our life without a plan. Of course, a plan requires the right legal documents. A living… read more…
- Key Differences: Living Will vs. Power of Attorney
Hard choices wait around every corner as you age, but some of the most difficult ones are about your own care. Without a plan in place, you might not be able to convey your wishes to those around you, leaving… read more…
- TotalLegal Review: Pros & Cons
TotalLegal is a company that offers consumers the opportunity to create quality legal documents for a variety of needs. For estate planning, the website allows users to create a last will and testament, power of attorney, living will and medical power of attorney. If you’re looking to begin the process of creating an estate plan… read more…
- FreeWill Review: What You Need to Know
FreeWill is an online estate planning tool that allows you to create or update a legally binding will. It offers products such as the ability to document funeral wishes, create a durable financial power of attorney, advance healthcare directives (living… read more…
- How to Make a Will for Free
Estate planning can be an overwhelming process, emotionally and mentally. The prices to work with a financial professional certainly don’t help either. These days, it’s possible to find free templates and do-it-yourself kits online that make estate planning more affordable.… read more…