Why Do People Try to Keep Their Estate Out of Probate?
As far as the initial investment is concerned, it is cheaper to have a will and let your estate go through probate. So why do people spend the extra money to execute trusts and use other estate planning methods to cut out the court system as much as possible? Here are a few reasons.
- Probate court is public – A criminal could check the public records to see who inherits what and then target those people with scams, knowing that they recently experienced a loss and gained possessions of value. Keeping things off the record protects your beneficiaries and may help to preserve your estate.
- Probate court takes time – This is especially true if your will is contested. Your beneficiaries are not going to receive anything until the court decides who your estate rightfully belongs to. A vindictive person who was cut out of the will could tie the assets up for months or even years if they are they are able to make their case well.
- Probate court can get expensive – The longer your estate is tied up in court, the higher the court fees, lawyer fees, and executor expenses will climb. Your beneficiaries may lose out on far more than what you have to pay to take care of the paperwork now.
Get the Estate Planning Help You Need in Southern California
Petrov Law Firm has the experienced estate planning attorneys for you. Call 619.344.0360 today to get started on your plan or to update an existing one.
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