When it comes time for estate administration and probate, have you ticked all the boxes that will help your family proceed? If you haven't planned at all, your heirs will have to rely on the courts to disburse assets according to the law. If you've only planned a little, then you might have left room for family arguments during the process. In the spirit of International Day of Families, we're providing a quick list of things you might want to include in your estate plan to head off family disputes when it comes to probate.
3 tips for keeping assets from probate
If you read about trusts online, one of the first things you'll notice is that a lot of people claim that a trust keeps you out of probate. This is actually a very general statement that isn't quite true. Yes, some trusts can keep certain assets out of the probate process, but that doesn't mean the estate itself is kept out of probate. It's not always possible to avoid probate altogether; those working with an estate lawyer can help you understand your options if this is one of your goals. Meanwhile, there are some ways you can keep specific property from probate.