Can probate delays be avoided? Personal representatives, such as executors and administrators, play a key role in avoiding probate delays. These people are responsible for managing the estate, which ...

My mom died just over a year ago, and I’m still knee-deep in probate. I’m barely average. The typical probate process to settle a will or the estate of somebody who dies without one takes 20 months, ...

Nothing is certain, it is said, but death and taxes. Yet, many Americans know surprisingly little about the legal process that follows a loved one’s death. A new report, titled The State of Probate in ...

Q. I was told that unlike wills, a trust doesn’t require probate and is not taxable. My main asset is a house that I want to pass on to my son. Would a living trust help? — Planning A. We’re glad ...