One of the essential steps in the probate process is filing an inventory of all the assets that are part of the estate.

In simple terms, a residuary estate is any part of your estate that hasn’t been distributed to your heirs through a last will and testament.

The average American maintains between 30 and 50 online accounts at any given time. These may be with banks, financial institutions, utility companies, email providers, social media outlets, commercial shopping or travel sites and accounts unique to technology, such as an account to purchase apps for a smartphone.

Safeguarding legal documents and providing access to this information is a big consideration in your caregiving plan.

Many people think that estate planning and writing a will are the same. However, one is just part of the other.

The contents of a person’s will and related revocable trust cannot be challenged in court until he or she has died, Maryland’s second highest court ruled last week in rejecting a daughter’s bid to revive an undue-influence challenge to her estranged and ailing mother’s decision to write her out of her will.

Adult children may anticipate but are not legally entitled to an inheritance.

Estate planning might sound like something just for wealthy people with huge beach houses and billions in the bank. However, the truth is that estate planning is something we all need to think about.

The death of a parent can be emotionally trying, especially if the passing was unexpected. It can also be a test of your patience if there are complicated estate issues to sort out.

If you own any property at all, you probably know about estate planning. You can decide what happens to your assets after you die, of course.