how to avoid probate court
understandably people want to avoid or shorten the probate process if possible this can be done by setting up a living trust assigning your assets to it and designating beneficiaries for those assets a living trust is an estate planning tool that can help you avoid the usually lengthy sometimes costly and always public nature of probate you can keep financial assets out of probate court by designating beneficiaries for them in the account paperwork held by for example your life insurance company retirement plan brokerage and bank this way funds will flow directly to the beneficiaries upon your death in addition to avoid probate of money you d like to leave to beneficiaries consider gifts during your lifetime people can give individuals tax free money in the form of gifts as defined by the internal revenue service irs in 2022 the maximum allowable amount is 16 000 17 000 in 2023 per person before a gift tax return must be filed 7frequently asked questions