the.com/probate
death's paperwork tax, paid in months and lawyers instead of dollars.
means the court process that proves a will is valid and supervises distributing a dead person's stuff.
from from latin probare, to prove — because someone has to legally vouch the will is real before anyone gets the silverware.
average duration6 to 18 months, sometimes years
costoften 3 to 7 percent of estate value
no willyou still get probate, just state rules decide
avoidance industrytrusts exist largely to skip this entirely
for instance
prince estate — no will found in 2016, six years to resolve, millions in fees
michael jackson estate — probate battle ran over a decade after 2009 death
howard hughes — dozens of fake wills surfaced, probate dragged for years