estate law

You may need a probate lawyer to draft a will or trust documents, or open an estate in court following the death of a family member. No matter the circumstances, there are certain documents that a probate attorney requires in order to…

The purpose of drafting a last will and testament is to direct the disposition of your estate after your death. But many people die without a valid will or their wills do not address the disposition of all their assets. Rather than…

Although most people have heard reference to a probate court, many individuals do not know all of the primary functions of this type of court. The fact is that there are several different reasons why a person may need to use or access…

Mortgages can be legally tricky when a borrower dies. Not only do laws differ from state to state, there are often rules involving "homesteads" that grant certain privileges to widows and widowers. Finding out about your rights as they…

The legal system is divided into categories with the most common being criminal law, civil litigation, bankruptcy law, real estate law and probate law. Although the root of each type of law is visible through the name, that is not so…

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…

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…