FAN LAW OFFICE

If you own real estate in more than one state, you may be setting your family up for a legal and financial ordeal — even if you have a will. Here's why: a will is admitted to probate in the state where you were domiciled at death. But real estate in another state is subject to that state's laws — and must go through a separate probate proceeding called ancillary probate. Own property in three states? Your family may face three simultaneous probates, each in a different court,

It's one of the most common things estate planning attorneys hear from small business owners: 'My business is my retirement plan. My business is my estate plan. When I'm ready, I'll sell it and that's what I'll leave behind.' The logic is understandable. But it contains several dangerous assumptions — and any one of them could leave your family in a difficult position. Assumption 1: The business will be sellable when you need it to be. Businesses don't always sell on your tim