Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Bob Carlson researches all facets of retirement finances. About 70% of U.S. adults don’t have a will or trust, according to ...

Probate can feel like stepping into a maze of legal paperwork, court deadlines and emotional decisions, often at one of life’s more difficult moments. Families suddenly find themselves juggling ...

Applying for probate is a difficult business. When someone dies, the executors (those people nominated by the deceased to manage their will) need to apply for a grant of probate, which allows them ...

When a person dies, they might expect their remaining assets to follow a common sense line of succession, passing first to their spouse, then to their children. But even when these lines of succession ...

Paperwork has a quiet way of taking over grief. After a loved one passes, families often expect the legal side to be simple, orderly, and short. Instead, probate steps in with rules, deadlines, and ...

Q: I am retired and unmarried, and I have three children who live in other states. They don't get along very well. I'm trying to avoid probate when I die so that there will be nothing my children need ...