Legal

Historically, probate court was separate from other branches of civil courts. Over the past 30 years, most states have developed unified civil court systems that now include probate courts. Despite the unification of the civil court system,…

Estate planning is a very important responsibility. Therefore, if you are at the juncture in your life at which you are undertaking estate planning, you need to engage the services of a qualified and experienced attorney. There are…

Contested divorce proceedings involving property and financial assets can get ugly quickly. Each spouse could feel the temptation to hide assets and property from the court to keep the other from winning even a percentage of the value.…

Buying a car in probate or in an estate sale is one way to get a high-quality automobile without paying the prices found at dealerships. If you plan to buy an automobile this way, you must have enough cash to make a deposit on the vehicle,…

A credit shelter trust is an estate planning instrument used by married couples to avoid federal estate taxes when leaving money to children or other heirs after their deaths. The instrument is also known as a bypass trust because it…

There are generally three types of deeds related to trusts. They are the Deed of Trust, the Reconveyance Deed and the Trustee's Deed. Each of these deeds is a part of the terms of the Deed of Trust. A Trust A trust is an…

Probate is the process by which the court identifies the assets, pays any taxes and debts and distributes property to the descendants of a person who dies without a valid will. 5 Steps to File Probate in Florida 1. Locate the…

A reverted clause (aka reversionary clause) in a mortgage is a clause containing language that sets up the process whereby legal title is given (reverts) to the borrower once all payments have been made. The lien on the property that was…

Some attorneys have a specific area of practice, while other specialize in a number of different legal arenas. A probate attorney specializes in estate matters after someone's death. When a person passes away, the heirs to the person's…

As you consider purchasing real estate, whether for your primary residence or as an investment, there may be opportunities available to you in the form of real estate in probate. There are certain, specific procedures that must be…