When someone passes away and their estate goes through probate, most people assume there’s a clear finish line. Papers get filed, assets get distributed, everyone signs off, and that’s that. But sometimes… that last step never happens. The estate just stays open. And...
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Estate Planning
Once An Estate Is Closed Can It Be Reopened?
You finally finished the paperwork, the judge signed the order, and the bank accounts are officially empty. It feels like the book is closed for good, and you can finally breathe a sigh of relief. But then, a stray stock certificate shows up in an old shoebox, or a...
Can You Have Both A Revocable And Irrevocable Trust?
So, you’re sitting there, thinking about the future and how to keep your hard-earned assets safe. You’ve probably come across these two very different options: the flexible Revocable Trust and the more permanent Irrevocable Trust. It is perfectly normal to feel a bit...
Can An Administrator Of An Estate Take Everything?
When someone passes away without a will, things can get confusing fast. The court appoints an administrator to handle the estate, and suddenly one person has access to bank accounts, property, and important financial decisions. That alone can make family members...
What If Heir Will Not Sign Form For Probate? (Explained)
Probate already has a reputation for being slow, confusing, and full of paperwork. Add a family disagreement into the mix, and things can feel like they’re about to grind to a complete halt. One of the most common curveballs people run into is an heir refusing to sign...
Apple Users: The Importance of Designating a Legacy Contact
Estate planning is the process of preparing and signing documents that designate individuals to manage one’s healthcare or financial decision-making in the event of their incapacitation, and the disposition of their assets upon their death. Changes in estate planning...
Why do sibling spats happen over estates?
Estate plans and wills have a bad reputation for creating divisions within families. Though this trope often gets played up in movies and literature, it does happen plenty of times in real life, too. It is important to understand why these spats happen and if there is...
The 3 elements of a basic estate plan
No matter what your age is or what stage of life you're in, you need to put an estate plan in place to detail your wishes and provide peace of mind for your family. A basic estate plan consists of only three elements that together answer most of the questions your...
What should you know about undue influence?
Elderly people are among the most vulnerable in the population. Unfortunately, some people have a motive to target them and take advantage of that vulnerability, too. This is the case with undue influence, which becomes especially prevalent in cases where people with...
What circumstances require an updated estate plan?
When considering what time to update an estate plan, it is common to get conflicting pieces of information or advice. After all, just about everyone has their own view as to the best timeline for updating or managing an estate. However, some circumstances enjoy...


