3 Ways to Avoid Probate - a podcast by Hans Blake, CFA, CPA

 

 

Listen to Chad Groover, elder law attorney from Upstate Elder Law, talk about ways to avoid probate on our latest podcast. Be sure to also listen and read our prior blog and podcast on how the probate process works.

 

You may have heard about the horrors of the court proceedings after death, but in truth, probate has gotten an undeservedly bad reputation, especially in recent years. If you bypass probate, your estate will go to your beneficiaries without any court proceeding, and you may save a certain amount of time and expenses. However, there is usually little reason for most people to avoid probate today. States continue to revise their probate laws, making them more consumer friendly, particularly for small estates. In fact, there are some good reasons to distribute your property by will. Decisions are binding and have legal finality once your will is probated. Creditors who fail to file claims against your estate within a specific amount of time — usually six months after receiving notice — are out of luck.

 

 

However, some major drawbacks to probate do exist, including the time it can take. The process averages six to nine months to complete but may take up to two years or more for some complex estates, tying up the assets that your family may need immediately. Also, for a larger estate, the cost may be as high as 5 percent of the estate’s value.

To learn more, consider downloading our Bypassing Probate Article

Further episodes of 301 Moved Permanently

Further podcasts by Hans Blake, CFA, CPA

Website of Hans Blake, CFA, CPA