A probate judge is an official of the county court system and a judicial official of the state who decides civil court cases that involve the probate process. Probate is the process of proving wills ...

Probating an estate is an expensive, time-consuming and sometimes adversarial affair. It is possible, and sometimes advisable, to avoid probate. With the help of an estate planner and, perhaps, an ...

Question: My 86-year-old father has an estate that I believe will be worth more than $1 million when he dies. This includes two homes that are paid for and various bank accounts, stocks, bonds and ...

Why a living trust isn't the answer for all your assets.

Think estate planning is only for the wealthy? Think again. In this episode of the HerMoney Podcast, Jean Chatzky sits down ...

The article about Aubrey McClendon’s estate says that probate is usually for those who lack the means to plan their estates (“Oil Tycoon’s Probate Fight Enters Year 2,” page one, March 3). In fact, ...

Most people name a spouse, child, or close relative as the beneficiary on a retirement account or life insurance policy and assume the job is done. What they don’t realize is that the choice directly ...

Last week, we wrote about a couple in their 60s who were unsatisfied with the lawyer who prepared their life documents (wills, etc.). They wanted to know exactly what they needed and how to find a ...

Next Avenue recently asked readers to tell us the estate planning questions they’d like us to answer. We’re now back with the experts’ views on the top question on your mind, plus — as a bonus — their ...

Probate is known for being an unnecessarily complicated and lengthy procedure. Even when the estate being probated is fairly simple and straightforward, proceedings can go on for some time, depending ...