By Christopher W. Dumm, J.D., Founder & Principal Attorney, The Law Offices of Christopher W. Dumm Assets owned solely in your name without beneficiary designations go through probate, but jointly owned property, retirement accounts with named beneficiaries, and assets in…
By Christopher W. Dumm, J.D., Founder & Principal Attorney, The Law Offices of Christopher W. Dumm You can use ChatGPT to learn probate basics, gather questions for your attorney consultation, and understand what documents you need before spending a dime…
By Christopher W. Dumm, J.D., Founder & Principal Attorney, The Law Offices of Christopher W. Dumm You can avoid probate by using strategies like revocable trusts, beneficiary designations, joint ownership, and transfer-on-death deeds to keep your assets out of probate…
By Christopher W. Dumm, J.D., Founder & Principal Attorney, The Law Offices of Christopher W. Dumm Small estate probate lets you settle a loved one's estate in weeks instead of months, often for under $1,500 instead of thousands in full…
By Christopher W. Dumm, J.D., Founder & Principal Attorney, The Law Offices of Christopher W. Dumm A will guarantees your family goes through probate court. A revocable living trust sidesteps that entire legal process. After over two decades of helping…
By Christopher W. Dumm, J.D., Founder & Principal Attorney, The Law Offices of Christopher W. Dumm Probate takes 6 to 24 months in most cases, though some estates close faster and others stretch beyond two years. If you just lost…
By Christopher W. Dumm, J.D., Founder & Principal Attorney, The Law Offices of Christopher W. Dumm When you die without a will in Missouri or Arkansas, state intestacy laws make all the decisions about who inherits your property. Your surviving…
By Christopher W. Dumm, J.D., Founder & Principal Attorney, The Law Offices of Christopher W. Dumm Being named executor of a will means you're legally responsible for settling someone's estate through the probate process, and honestly, it's both an honor…
By Christopher W. Dumm, J.D., Founder & Principal Attorney, The Law Offices of Christopher W. Dumm Probate costs in Missouri and Arkansas typically range from 3% to 8% of your estate's total value. For a $500,000 estate, that means $15,000…
By Christopher W. Dumm, J.D., Founder & Principal Attorney, The Law Offices of Christopher W. Dumm Most estates take 6 to 12 months, though complex situations stretch longer. The timeline depends on estate value, asset types, and whether family members…