By Roy Whited
While I have heard some very detailed definitions for the term “estate”, I especially like the one used by Certified Elder Law Attorney Thom L. Cooper during his educational seminar for seniors: He says, “It is all your stuff; all of the things that you own at your date of death; put it in a box and it makes up your estate.”
However, while you may only have one ‘box of stuff’ or estate, your estate may be made up of many different 
types of estates. For example you can have a probate estate, a non-probate estate, a trust estate, a taxable estate, and a non-taxable estate. In this writing we will be talking about your probate estate.
Generally, a probate estate is made up of any asset owned by an individual at their death that is subject to probate administration. The probate administration process is designed to provide proof to the probate court that the individual’s Will is genuine.
Types of assets found in a probate estate:
All assets that are owned in the individual’s name alone
All assets that are owned by the individual as a “tenant in common”
All assets that are payable to the estate of a beneficiary
All assets owed to the individual before death but are paid after the date of death
Other personal property items such as household goods, jewelry, etc.
Probating an estate can be costly and time consuming, causing delays in the distribution of assets to heirs. Call 1-800-798-5297 and schedule a free one-hour consultation with a Certified Elder Law Attorney at Cooper, Adel & Associates to learn how to avoid probate.
