Beneficiaries, Inheritance, Personal Representatives

U.S. Savings Bonds and Death of the Bondholder

Bowditch & Dewey on 8/1/2025

What happens to U.S. Savings Bonds with the death of the bondholder? The answer depends on who owns the savings bond and whether others are also listed as owners or beneficiaries....more

What Happens if I Die Without a Valid Will in Massachusetts?

Bowditch & Dewey on 11/16/2023

As estate planning attorneys, a question that often arises with new and prospective clients is, “What happens if I die without a will?” The short answer is this: if you die without a valid will in Massachusetts, state law...more

Step-By-Step Overview of Probate

Ruder Ware on 7/22/2021

“Probate” is a legal term for the Court process of transferring assets out of a deceased person’s name and to that person’s heirs and/or beneficiaries. The difference between the term “heir” and the term “beneficiary” is...more

When There is Only a Will There’s No Way You’re Avoiding Probate

Lewitt Hackman on 5/31/2020

A common misconception is that when you die with a Will, your heirs avoid probate. In California when you die with a Will and the total assets owned in your sole name exceed $166,250, your estate goes through probate (a court...more

Hindsight in 2020: The Biggest Reasons Relatives Wish Their Loved One Had An Estate Plan

Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard,... on 1/31/2020

We have all heard the phrase that hindsight is 20/20. Often, going through a situation is one of the best ways to learn how to navigate it, or help others, if one encounters a similar scenario in the future. But what about...more

California Probate Administration Is No Time for Napping

Downey Brand LLP on 7/3/2019

In the absence of a trust that allows assets to pass without opening probate, the California probate process lasts for at least six months and can run much longer depending on the size of the estate and the nature of assets....more