There is a lot of confusion about probate and the use of a trust to avoid probate.  If your will is properly prepared by a qualified attorney, the probate process is not always expensive or time consuming.  Hindson & Melton LLC can help you prepare such a will.   Our firm’s wills are designed to make probate as inexpensive and painless as possible for your heirs.   A trust normally costs more than a will, and this is a consideration for many families in estate planning.

When should you try to avoid probate? 

When might it be smart to avoid probate and use a trust?

• If you have a lot of family conflict
• If you do not have children, but you do have a lot of relatives
• If you are in a second marriage or blended family with separate assets
• If you own real property in multiple states
• If you want to protect separate assets in the event of incapacity or disability

Call Hindson & Melton LLC today for assistance in updating or creating your estate planning.   We can help you decide whether it is smart for you to avoid probate and use a trust.
Karen Hindson, Hindson & Melton LLC

When you know the time is right to turn your estate planning goals into reality, contact the Charleston estate planning attorneys of Hindson & Melton LLC. We offer thirty years of estate-planning experience.

We offer the following estate-planning legal services:

We also offer estate administration or probate legal services.

With our estate administration legal services, we help trustees and estate administrators marshal and distribute assets in a cost-efficient way that preserves assets for the intended parties.

Sometimes people pass away without proper estate planning, or their will may be out-of-date, incomplete, or inadequate. Many individuals who prepare their own wills or trust documents end up with unintended consequences and family chaos.  Saving a few hundred dollars up front can cost many thousands later, and worse, can result in a totally unexpected and unacceptable distribution of estate assets.  Probate litigation can be complex and fraught with emotional frustration. Our experiences help us cut through legal entanglements to resolve many probate disputes without litigation. However, when something needs to be settled in the courtroom, we have plenty of litigation experience to get results.

We believe that every family needs estate planning in order to plan for their family or funds after death.  You also need to plan for your possible disability or incapacity.  Nominating a guardian to care for your minor children is important even if you do not have a significant estate.  If you need estate planning and estate administration services for yourself, or for your parents or extended family, contact the Charleston estate planning attorney at Hindson & Melton LLC.  We can help you develop a plan to give you peace of mind.