Another thing...and this is a trade secret so I will probably hear from the lawyers on this one....but...if you have a simple estate, not necessarily small, but simple...and if you have the paperwork in order before hand...the will, etc. properly drawn up by an attorney...you can probably handle probate by yourself...but don't dare quote me...:) The truth is the way lawyers learn to do probate is by going to the courthouse and asking the clerk for the forms, then filling them out, and taking them back. I promise you that a good court clerk knows as much or more than the attorney and sometimes as much as the Judge....just because they have been doing it for years and years and years. So, get things in order, spring for the fee to get a competent attorney to write the will and then quit worrying...and enjoy your life. When the time comes, then you can decide if you want to handle the estate on your own or hire an attorney. Don't cheat your family on something this important. Hope that helps. nomasmojarras has already told you it is worth a bundle just not to worry about it....it is done. Take her advice.
One more thing, don't ask your court clerk legal questions. She is not allowed to answer them...she is not a lawyer...but she can give you the forms.
Not in every state. My home state has a pretty nasty inheritance tax return that has to be filed fairly quickly after probate is started and I wouldn't attempt to fill that out on my own.
Great thread! I live 800 miles away from my next of kin and recently covered this topic with my parents. None of my family members has been to my present abode, so no one has seen where things are filed or my hiding places, except in pictures. I've written up a few lists of directions and a detailed asset/liability list, but I think I'm going to make some additions and sending them a DNA sample, thanks to ideas presented in this thread.
While they know where I keep the extra garage remote and my extra keys, I still have a worry. If I would be killed while on a trip, I don't know how anyone could ever find my car at the airport.