Estate Planning & Probate

Death and end of life issues can often be uncomfortable topics to think about, let alone discuss. The fear of the unknown can often be a paralyzing aspect to any person. However, what happens when you can’t make decisions for yourself anymore and your family needs to make those difficult choices for you? What happens when your loved ones do not know what your wishes would be?

Probate is the court process of administering the estate of a deceased person. Depending upon the state and county in which the deceased person resided, there may be a court designated to handle probate matters. This court is often referred to as the Probate Court. So people will often say they are in Probate when they are going through the administration of a deceased person, or if they are in the Probate Court for some other matter.

A living trust is a legal tool that allows you to hold property for someone else. It involves three parties: settlor (the person giving the property), trustee (the person holding the property), and the beneficiary (the person or people who benefit from the property). These three parties can be the same person or they can be different people. People can place real estate, fine art, money, and other things of value in a living trust.