Markets may run in cycles, but probate deadlines never change. When an economic slump collides with the long wait for estate distributions, heirs can face a cash-flow crunch at the worst possible moment: jobs feel less secure, credit tightens, and asset prices swing wildly. Yet recessions can also offer rare buying opportunities and tax advantages—if …
Planning for an Expected Inheritance: Smart Moves Before the Check Arrives
Anticipating a future windfall can feel like you are already halfway to your dreams—paying off a mortgage, launching a business, or simply building a more comfortable retirement. Yet inheritances rarely arrive in a single, drama-free envelope. Probate courts impose timelines, creditors surface, and family dynamics may shift. Positioning yourself wisely before funds hit your account …
Parents’ Debt vs. Your Inheritance: How Creditor Claims Really Work
When a parent passes away, their unpaid bills do not simply vanish. Probate law sets a strict pecking order for who gets paid—and when—before heirs receive a dime. Understanding that order, and knowing when to inject liquidity, can preserve family harmony and keep valuable assets out of a forced-sale spiral. Why Probate Looks a Lot …
Inheriting a House with a Mortgage: Keep, Sell or Refinance?
When a loved one leaves behind a residence that still carries a mortgage, beneficiaries discover that bricks and mortar are only half the battle. Loan servicers expect timely payments, insurance and taxes never pause, and co-heirs may disagree about next steps. Yet with thoughtful planning—and occasionally strategic liquidity—a mortgaged inheritance can be transformed from a …
Is Inherited Money Marital Property? Community vs. Equitable States
From the outside, an inheritance looks straightforward: a parent dies, the executor distributes funds, and each beneficiary pockets their share. Inside the courthouse—and inside many marriages—the reality is messier. Whether inherited money becomes marital property depends on state law, timing, and how carefully the funds are handled after distribution. Because liquidity questions drive many probate-funding …
Inheritance Rights Explained: Spouses, Step-Children & Adopted Heirs
Few moments create more uncertainty than the reading of a will—especially in blended families where spouses, biological children, step-children, and adopted heirs all have a stake. At our probate-funding desk, we have witnessed how confusion over statutory shares, elective spousal rights, and intestacy rules can freeze estates for months, leaving families without liquidity just when …
Executors, Trustees & Guardians: Duties, Liabilities and Best Practices
When families turn to us for probate advances, the first question is rarely about money—it is about responsibility. “What, exactly, am I supposed to do as executor?” “Will the court hold me liable if something goes wrong?” “How can I protect my niece’s inheritance until she turns eighteen?” Clear answers to these questions not only …
California’s Heggstad Petition Explained (And When to Use It)
When a loved one dies, the estate can take one of two very different paths. A well-funded, correctly drafted living trust glides through administration with minimal court involvement, while assets that never made it into the trust slog through full probate—complete with publication notices, mandatory waiting periods, and mounting carrying costs. Yet California law provides …
How to Petition the Court to Open Probate: Forms, Fees & Tips
Opening a probate estate can feel like trying to unlock a door whose key keeps changing shape. Courts have their own checklists, clerks insist on precise paperwork, and grieving families often discover that deadlines start running the moment a loved one passes. As a probate-funding company, we see heirs every day who are caught in …
Homestead Exemption vs. Inheritance Advance: Protecting the Family Home
Why the Family Home Deserves Special Treatment For many estates, the residence where parents raised their children is more than an address—it is an anchor of family identity and, frequently, the single largest store of generational wealth. When a homeowner dies, state homestead-exemption statutes shield a portion of that equity from unsecured creditors, ensuring the …
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