If you don't care what happens to your property at death, and you don't have minor children on the scene, you probably don't need a will. This, however, is not the usual case. Most of us have people ... |
A will gives you the power to direct what property to give to which persons or organizations that you choose. If you don't have a will, each person who falls within the state law classification that ... |
If you don't have a will, your home state will distribute your wealth equally to your closest relatives, even if one is the richest person in the world and ... |
If you die without a will, anyone who receives your property (other than minors) will generally receive it outright, with no restrictions or conditions attached. This may not be what you want. For ... |
The right to use property that you transfer by your will can be split between different people, based on the passage of time. One person (or group of people) can be given ownership of, or the right ... |
When you create a will that substantially restricts your heirs' ability to use the property (or to pass it along to their heirs at death), two conflicting legal principles are involved: |
Your will can transfer property to others in joint ownership (either in a tenancy in common, or a joint ... |
A power of appointment is created when you give a person the right to determine who will receive specified property that you own. You can create such a power that is effective while you are alive, or ... |
A trust is a legal arrangement in which someone agrees to hold and manage property for the benefit of another. With a trust, three parties are involved: the one who transfers the property to the ... |
Probate. Utter the word to almost anyone and be prepared for exclamations of hostility and disgust. But, what is probate? Can it — and should it — be avoided? |
