Wills & Estates

Estate Planning - Under the American law, when any person dies, their estate has to pay certain estate taxes. Estate taxes have to be paid if the value of an individual’s net assets (assets minus debts) exceeds the maximum exempt limit allowed by the law at the time of death.

Probate - Upon the death of a person, the estate belonging to the deceased has to be divided between the people to whom the decadent wanted the estate to go. This is determined via a will, which is written and witnessed by the decadent during his or her lifetimes. In the event that there is no will – perhaps one was not left by the decadent or the will cannot be found – the estate determined who inherits the estate, and in some cases it may actually go to the state if there is no natural beneficiary to be found. These processes are known as probate.

Trusts - Generally, a trust is a right in property (real or personal) which is held in a fiduciary relationship by one party for the benefit of another. The trustee is the one who holds title to the trust property, and the beneficiary is the person who receives the benefits of the trust.

Wills - A will is a very simple document, and this is a legal paper that clarifies what your assets are and whom your chosen beneficiaries are. The will is an important document that is used in the probate process after your death to ensure that all of your assets are given to the rightful beneficiaries as per your wishes and instructions.

LexisNexis
Trusts, Estates, Wills, Probate Law.

American Bar Association
Wills and Estates Law

WashLaw
Wills and Estate basics.

Chooselaw FAQ
This is a section devoted to frequently asked questions about Wills & Estates here on chooselaw.

Estates and Wills FAQ
General questons about estates and wills are answered here.

Estate Planning and Probate
General questions about estate planning and probate.

General Questions - Wills and Estates
General questions about wills and estates.