Q. How can we avoid probate and reduce the estate tax for our beneficiaries, who are our two adult children? We know about payable on death (POD) bank accounts. Is it better to put our two houses in ...

We created him.) “I went through it when my father died, and my family spent the next year talking to lawyers, trying to get ...

Q. I was told that unlike wills, a trust doesn’t require probate and is not taxable. My main asset is a house that I want to pass on to my son. Would a living trust help? — Planning A. We’re glad ...

Estate planning generally has three purposes: to reduce estate taxes, to avoid probate and to protect beneficiaries. Failing to plan can result in unnecessary expenses and leave your executor with the ...

The concept of an inheritance is well known — but "inheritance," as defined by the average person and by the law, can often be two very different things. Specializing in trust services, I’ve crafted ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Matthew F. Erskine is a trusts and estates attorney. Probate Law: Judge's Gavel as a symbol of legal system, Themis is the goddess ...

Q. How can we avoid probate and reduce the estate tax for our beneficiaries, who are our two adult children? We know about payable on death (POD) bank accounts. Is it better to put our two houses in ...