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How your estate is administer can affect the cost, and the length of administration, and affect the outcome greatly.

The hearing is the beginning of the work, not the end of it.

You want an attorney who will tell you plainly where the trouble is likely to come from, what it might cost to deal with, and what you can do now to reduce the odds.

Before you pay a creditor, before you distribute anything, and before any transaction that benefits you or your family, ask first.

The best guardian or conservator is someone who has the time, organization, patience, and commitment to carry out the court’s responsibilities.

Although waiting can be difficult, taking the time to administer an estate correctly often saves everyone far more time, money, and stress in the long run.

The type of ownership, the existence of a will, the state’s probate laws, and the authority granted to the personal representative can all affect when a home may be sold.

Knowing how you own that home is just as important as knowing where it is located. Taking the time to understand your deed now may save your loved ones significant time, expense, and frustration in the future.

The reality is that if you have children from a prior marriage and own everything jointly with your current spouse, your children may ultimately inherit nothing from you.

While that may sound appealing, no contest clauses can create unintended consequences. In some situations, they do not prevent litigation at all. A no contest clause may end up protecting a poorly performing fiduciary more than it protects the estate plan itself.