In some circumstances, a durable power of attorney is a simpler and less costly way to achieve the same goal. However, you should choose between a living trust and a power of attorney after you have considered the advantages and disadvantages of each. Attorneys charge from 3 percent to 10 percent or more to probate your estate. If your family wished to hire the services of an attorney, his or her fee may be based upon an hourly charge or upon a percentage of your estate and rarely do attorneys charge as much as 3 percent. In fact, most attorneys do not charge a percentage of the estate but instead charge an hourly rate for their work.
Probate takes years to complete.
Misleading and Very Unlikely. Non-taxable probate estates generally only take a year or less to complete. Such disputes can cause delays in the administration of either a probate or a living trust. In most circumstances, the administration of a living trust is no more time efficient than the administration of a will in probate. Probate requires excessive time and money.