Today it has become an ugly, legal nightmare where lawyers, clerks, guardians, administrators, estate appraisers and bonding companies bilk widows and orphans out of their inheritance. First, let's see what's wrong with probate, and then let's see how you can avoid probate - so that your family can get to keep the assets that are rightfully theirs. Three things wrong with probate. On the average, it takes two to five years to settle an estate. For all practical purposes, the estate is frozen during probate while the judges, court officials and attorneys have a field day picking it apart.
Probate creates unwanted publicity.
Everything in probate court is a matter of public record and, unfortunately, there are individuals who go from probate court to probate court compiling lists which are then sold to unscrupulous people who prey on widows and try to separate them from their inheritance. Now that you know why you should avoid probate, let me show you the most effective way of doing it. With a Living Trust, you can pass on your assets to your spouse or children or other heirs in entirety - without delay, and without the lawyers, administrators, courts, or the appraisers skimming off from the top. Here's how a Living Trust works. By creating a simple Living Trust document, you'd have freed yourself of the legalized larceny of probate.