Probate Avoidance Planning

Probate is a Court process to settle your estate, including making sure that your bills are paid (creditors) and the correct people inherit.  Most often, individuals wish to avoid probate because it is expensive and time consuming for your beneficiaries upon your death.

How you designate the ownership of your assets during your lifetime will determine whether there is a probate when you die.  Just signing a Last Will and Testament does not avoid probate.  We will help you through the steps.

Causes Probate:

• Real Estate or Mineral Interests in your name alone or as tenants-in-common
• No named beneficiaries or joint tenant owner on your accounts

Avoids Probate:

• Joint tenants ownership
• Named beneficiaries on accounts (Pay-on-Death or Transfer-on-Death)
• Transfer-on-Death Real Estate or Mineral Interest deed
• Assets owned by a Revocable Living Trust