» Probate

3 Simple Ways to Avoid Probate Costs The bad news: When a person dies owning property in their sole name without a beneficiary, their loved ones will have to go through a court-supervised process called probate to transfer the property out of the dec… Read More

How to Help Your Loved Ones (and Your Life Savings) Avoid Probate Today, many people use a revocable living trust instead of a will, joint ownership, or beneficiary designation as the foundation of their estate plan. When properly prepared, a trust a… Read More

Nosy Neighbor Nellie Can Find Out About Your Probate Most people think of probate (the process of collecting, managing, and distributing a deceased person’s money and property) as a private process. However, because probate involves the court syste… Read More

Help! This Probate Is Taking Forever! After a loved one dies, their money and property that goes through probate must be distributed to the people legally entitled to it, either according to a last will and testament (also called a will) or the state… Read More

In this 3-part series, we will explore what happens when you think you own something, but it turns out you don’t. Part 1: You Call It Home—But Do You Legally Own It? You’ve lived in the house for years. You’ve paid the taxes, repaired the… Read More

Do Not Leave Your Loved Ones with a Sticky Mess There is nothing quite like ice cream on a warm summer day served just the way you like it. You are outside, maybe on a shaded bench or strolling down the boardwalk, sun on your face with a light breeze… Read More

Your Probate Records Are Public—Here’s What That Means (and How to Keep Your Estate Private) When someone passes away in Minnesota, their estate often goes through probate, a legal process that validates a will, identifies heirs, and accounts for… Read More

What Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, and a Minnesota Schoolteacher All Had in Common (And how their estate plans fell apart.) You might not think you have much in common with Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, or King Henry VIII. They ruled empi… Read More