Probate is a legal process that takes place after a person dies. In order to take care of a deceased person’s affairs, someone must step in to account for any bills that need to be paid and make sure that all property is accounted for. In addition, items must be passed on to the people chosen by the deceased person. In instances where state law mandates that probate must be handled in court, the process can be lengthy. Oftentimes, probate can go on for many months. In order to save loved ones from the stress and hassle of drawn-out court proceedings, it is vital for a person to contact an Arizona probate attorney to make sure their estate plan avoids probate if needed.

Unfortunately, probate rarely benefits a person’s beneficiaries and it also costs them a great deal of time and money. Probate typically involves lots of paperwork and lengthy court proceedings. Property left in a will cannot be distributed to beneficiaries until the process is complete. However, an Arizona estate planning attorney can facilitate a number of actions ahead of time to aid Arizona residents in avoiding probate.

Who should plan to avoid probate?

Whether to spend any time and effort planning to avoid probate depends on a variety of factors, such as: a person’s age, health and wealth. Young and healthy people may just need a simple will, as future life changes may warrant numerous time-consuming revisions. In addition, people that own very little property don’t need to spend much time trying to avoid probate. There are also people who may own property that falls under a state’s probate exemption, as most states have laws that allow a certain amount of property to pass free of probate. On the other hand, people who are – older, well established in their current lifestyle, own a significant amount of property and/or are in ill health – should contact an Arizona estate planning attorney to do some planning to avoid probate.