When a person passes away, their estate must go through a process called probate. During this time, the court addresses creditors' debts and claims. This ensures that they settle the deceased's financial obligations before distributing any remaining assets to...
If you stand to gain an inheritance from a deceased family member, you might find yourself dealing with confusing questions if there are disputes over a will. For instance, your relative may have written a new will to revoke an old one, but since destroyed or revoked...
With estate planning, clearly outlining your wishes can prevent disputes. If there are questions, your loved ones may choose to contest your will, which will put strain on your family. While you cannot always avoid will contests, taking certain actions can greatly...
Closing an estate and distributing the inheritance to heirs helps a family achieve closure, which is why many people attempt to reduce time in probate. Still, unforeseen events sometimes push probate into additional weeks, months or possibly beyond a year. It is...
Probate can seem like a daunting process, and it often gets a bad reputation. This legal process is actually beneficial to everyone, and it can be incredibly helpful in many cases. Probate simply provides court supervision on the finalizing of an estate. It involves...
It can take a while to process an estate through probate. When you also factor in the costs involved and the public nature of probate court, you probably want to exclude as much of your estate as possible from the probate process. Fortunately, U.S. News and World...
If you plan on being the estate executor for a parent, you know that you have great responsibilities ahead of you. Organizing the assets of the estate is one of them. You should know what your parent owns so you can distribute the property to heirs. Creating an...
Washington State residents without a valid will may anticipate the probate court distributing their net assets under the Evergreen State’s intestate succession laws. Your “net” estate consists of the assets remaining after your estate pays off your debts, according to...
When someone names you the executor over his or her Washington estate, you owe that individual and his or her beneficiaries and creditors a particular duty of care. There are many steps involved in serving as someone's executor, and if you fail to take some of them or...
Not only are you forced to deal with the emotions of losing a loved one, but you may have to help finalize the estate. Washington and many other states in the nation require probate before the courts are able to disperse assets and property left in the last will and...
