If you ask a group of people what they think about “Probate,” you will likely get a lot of scared looks.
You might hear things like, “probate is terrible. It takes forever to probate an estate.” Or you may hear others say, “The cost of probate will eat up all the estate assets.” You won’t find many people who will say, “We loved the probate process.
Avoiding probate seems to be the goal of most, and some reasons don’t include it being an awful, long, expensive process. Probate itself is not a complicated process. In fact, the oversight provided by the court makes the process quite streamlined, and many estates can be wrapped up within a reasonable amount of time and at a reasonable cost.
The probate process becomes dark and dreary when it creates conflict among family members. Unfortunately, with or without a Last Will and Testament, some families go to war after the death of a loved one.
Many will fight over money.
Some will fight over holding power.
Some will fight over their interpretation of “Mom or Dad’s” intentions
Most of these struggles and conflicts can be avoided with advanced estate planning. It’s not the probate process that is dreadful; it’s all the ambiguity and unknowns that create turmoil within families. A well-drafted estate plan can help avoid many of these common issues and save your loved ones from the emotional turmoil of being at odds with their family members.
Contact our office if you want to lay out a plan to help your loved ones navigate your wishes after your death. We can walk you through options and address your unique circumstances. We specialize in educating and helping you protect what you have for the people you love the most.
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