In month one, everybody says the same things. “Take your time.” “Don’t make big decisions yet.” “We’ll deal with the house later.” Then month ten shows up. That’s when the credit card teaser rate ends. The HVAC dies in a…
The house everyone drives past is never just a house. It’s a smell in the summer. It’s a rat problem that migrates. It’s a code-enforcement file that gets thicker every month. And when the yard turns into a waist-high jungle…
Updated February 2026 Estate loans provide beneficiaries with immediate cash to settle estate-related expenses, often within 2–4 weeks. These loans can help avoid selling inherited assets at a loss or waiting years for probate resolution. What Are Estate Loans? Estate…
Updated February 2026 Probating a will in the United States generally takes 6–12 months, depending on state laws, estate complexity, and court workloads. While straightforward cases might be resolved in as little as three months, more complex situations could extend…
Effective January 1, 2026, the federal estate and gift tax exemption increased to $15 million per individual and $30 million per married couple—with no sunset provision. This is a seismic shift for estate planning. What Changed For years, estate planners…
California Medi-Cal Estate Recovery: Key Changes for 2026 This information reflects California’s Medi-Cal estate recovery rules as of January 2026. California reinstated the Medi-Cal asset test starting January 1, 2026, significantly impacting estate planning and probate processes. The reintroduced asset…
Effective January 1, 2026, several Illinois Supreme Court Rule amendments took effect. While these changes apply to civil cases generally, they carry specific implications for probate and trust proceedings—areas that often involve ongoing filings and extended court oversight. Why Probate…
On January 2, 2026, the Missouri Court of Appeals (Eastern District) issued its ruling in Spalding v. Martin (ED113426)—a case that offers a useful reminder about trust misappropriation, settlement enforcement, and the practical realities of family trust disputes. The Facts…
California has significantly expanded the pathway to avoid full probate, and the numbers matter for practitioners and clients alike. The New Thresholds Under Assembly Bill 2016, which took effect April 1, 2025, California now allows estates to bypass traditional probate…
The American Bar Association’s January-February 2026 issue of Probate & Property features two articles on digital assets in estate planning—a signal that this is no longer a niche concern. It’s mainstream practice. The Scale of the Problem Digital assets now…