When a loved one dies: first, you grieve. Next, as their successor trustee, there is a series of obligations that you must handle to put your loved one to rest and to manage their estate.

There are many tools that an experienced estate attorney can use to keep your money and property out of probate. Setting up a revocable living trust is often the best, most comprehensive option for avoiding probate.

Estate attorneys and financial planners typically recommend working to keep accounts and property out of probate. That said, the probate system, in some cases, can be used to your advantage.