Julia Kagan is a financial/consumer journalist and former senior editor, personal finance, of Investopedia. Ebony Howard is a certified public accountant and a QuickBooks ProAdvisor tax expert. She ...

Formal probate is a court-supervised process where the validity of a deceased person's will is determined and their assets are distributed. It's often used when the deceased's estate is complex, there ...

When a loved one or friend passes away, the probate process in Missouri ensures that their estate is administered according to the law. However, this process can become complicated when claims are ...

Can You Settle an Estate Without Probate? In certain situations, it is possible to settle an estate without going through probate. Assets held in joint ownership, assets with named beneficiaries (such ...