A will determines what happens with your assets after your pass. After your death, courts will verify the will and settle the estate according to the will's contents in a process called probate. Probate tends to be long and expensive. Alternative forms of estate...
Estate Planning
Do you know which of your assets are subject to probate
You may not give much thought to the subject of probate since it has to do with your will and the disposition of assets following your death, However, knowing which of your assets are likely headed to probate and which are not will help clarify your thoughts about...
5 tips to help you achieve success as a personal representative
Perhaps you find yourself in the role of a personal representative, responsible for settling the estate of a loved one following his death. The estate is large and there is a lot of work ahead. The prospect is intimidating, but you want to do well. Here are five tips...
What can a trust accomplish that a will cannot?
You may know how important it is to have a will, but sometimes, you want to accomplish certain things during estate planning that a will is unable to do. A trust is a type of estate planning tool that involves you relinquishing control over the assets inside of it to...
Do estate plans interfere with government benefits?
If you have children who have disabilities, you may worry about their abilities to find work and support themselves as adults. Using your estate plan to provide for the future well-being of your kids is a noble goal. Still, if you gift money directly to your children,...
The importance of estate planning for families with young children
Seniors with adult children are not the only people who need to think about estate planning. As soon as parents welcome children into the world, they should do everything that you can to give them the best possible future. The steps that you take early on to provide...
How can I speed up the probate process in Oklahoma?
Probate is the legal process of distributing a person’s estate after their death. Many stages are involved, including paying final taxes and other debts before distributing the remainder to heirs. The first step is determining whether the decedent had a will or...
What is a transfer on death deed?
Estate planning can be a challenging concept on many levels. Uncomfortable decisions must be made regarding end of life matters as well as the distribution of assets to surviving loved ones. By developing a comprehensive estate plan, however, individuals can gain...
How does land ownership impact probate?
For most homeowners in Oklahoma, their house is the most valuable thing they own. Others own multiple pieces of real estate, such as rental properties, vacation homes and farmland. Owning property can give families stability, a potential income source, and a place to...
What Does An Executor Do?
For those people who have gone through a significant life change or have begun to consider drafting an estate plan, choosing an executor is a crucial step. It may seem obvious, but the complicated nature of estate plans means determining who will oversee that plan...