Category Archives: Probate

Is a Conservatorship Right for Your Family? Part 1: Disadvantages

Is a conservatorship right for your family? Usually the answer is no. Conservatorships are drastic, expensive, and stir up controversy, and yet most of the time they could have been avoided with some advance planning. Let’s review the cons of a … Continue reading






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Responding to Probate Court Petitions

You find out about a Probate court petition that you do not agree with. What do you do? According to Keith Davidson of the California Trust Estate & Probate Litigation Blog: When faced with a Probate Court Petition that you … Continue reading






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Inside Look at Frank Gifford’s Probate Estate

On the celebrity estate front, the New York Daily News recently published details about Frank Gifford’s Last Will and Testament. Kathie Lee Gifford is to receive the bulk of the $10 million estate, but his children from a prior marriage … Continue reading






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What is a Pour-Over Will? – Estate Planning Basics

  It is time to get back to basics. A Living Trust takes the place of a Will. The Trust specifies how the estate is going to be disposed and who has the responsibility for carrying out its instructions. See … Continue reading






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Adding Your Child to Your Bank Account is Not Such a Great Idea

A common means of avoiding probate is to put your child’s name on all of your accounts. This can create some serious problems, not least of which is if a creditor goes after your child’s assets and is able to … Continue reading






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Did She Leave a Will and If So, Where Is It?

A common question is how to find a will of a deceased relative. About.com has an explanation here of the steps to go through to find the will, including how to obtain a copy from a probate court, how to … Continue reading






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The Trials of Inheriting a Fortune – Whitney Houston’s Heirs

The inheritance of Whitney Houston’s daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, is stirring up family controversy. This from the Trials and Heirs blog: Although you should take tabloid reports with a grain of skepticism,  there can be no question that Bobbi Kristina’s marriage … Continue reading






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