There are four ways in which property is transferred after death:
- Beneficiary Designation Form (life insurance, retirement accounts, annuities);
- Ownership (POD accounts, joint accounts, jointly owned real estate);
- Trust (where property is titled in the name of the trust); and
- Probate (the judicial way of transferring assets after death).
The individual in charge of the probate process is called the personal representative. Much of my practice involves advising trustees and personal representatives in the performance of their responsibilities in distributing assets after death.
Getting Here
