Probate is the legal process for distributing your property after you die. Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising partners who compensate us when you take certain ...

Suzanne is a content marketer, writer, and fact-checker. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance degree from Bridgewater State University and helps develop content strategies. FG Trade / Getty ...

Probate refers to the legal process of settling the estate of a deceased person. This process can take anywhere from a few months to a couple of years, depending on several factors such as the size ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Bob Carlson researches all facets of retirement finances. About 70% of U.S. adults don’t have a will or trust, according to ...

When a person dies, they might expect their remaining assets to follow a common sense line of succession, passing first to their spouse, then to their children. But even when these lines of succession ...

Editor's note: The information in this column is not intended as legal advice but to provide a general understanding of the law. Any readers with legal problems, including those whose questions are ...

Christy Bieber has a JD from UCLA School of Law and began her career as a college instructor and textbook author. She has been writing full time for over a decade with a focus on making financial and ...

In effect, probate functioned as a pre-emptive filter, forcing scrutiny at the planning stage, before property or assets were ...