When someone dies, their bank accounts do not always have to go through probate before the money becomes accessible. Many ...

When you die, estate planners say, one of the finest gifts you can leave your heirs is a plan for avoiding probate. Probate ...

Q: My sister passed away and named me as the beneficiary and executor in her will. She owned nothing. The only asset is a life insurance policy payable to her estate for $1,500. My lawyer told me not ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Bob Carlson researches all facets of retirement finances. The recent deaths of actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa ...

Putting everything you own into a living trust can feel like the safest way to help your kids skip probate, but some assets are actually designed to bypass the court system without ever touching a ...

If your estate plan centers mainly on a single home, as a primary residence, under $750,000, a recently enacted law in […] ...

The legal process after someone’s death can be challenging, especially with probate and other legal proceedings. In Kansas, a small estate affidavit may help heirs settle an estate without lengthy ...