When a person passes away, their estate is often comprised of probate assets and non-probate assets.  Probate assets are assets that will be distributed according to the decedent’s Last Will & Testament.  These assets are titled solely in the decedent’s name.

Non-probate assets are sometimes called testamentary substitutes.  These assets have beneficiaries associated with the account or property.  The following are a list of testamentary substitutes:

 

Daredevil Dan Example:

Daredevil Dan went to the Bronx to watch the Yankees play.  He was too engrossed in his bucket of chicken fingers at the game and was struck by a foul ball, and that was the end of Daredevil Dan.  Daredevil Dan went to Miller & Miller Law Group PLLC and executed a Last Will & Testament.

Daredevil Dan had a joint bank account with his wife, Brittany, with $25,000 in it.  He had a retirement account with $100,000 which had his wife designated as his beneficiary. He owned a property in Red Hook solely in his name. He owned a property in Park Slope with his wife titled as tenants by the entirety.  He owned a brokerage account worth $20,000 which was titled in trust for his son, Thomas and he owned a bank account with $40,000 in his name alone.

According to these facts, the non-probate assets that would go to Brittany would be the joint bank account for $25,000, the property in Park Slope, and the retirement account with $100,000.  Brittany should have the deed for the property in Park Slope changed solely to herself as surviving tenant by the entirety.

Thomas would be able to collect the $20,000 from the brokerage account by providing them with a death certificate.

The probate assets in Daredevil Dan’s estate would be the property in Red Hook and the bank account with $40,000 in Daredevil Dan’s name alone. The disposition of this property would be controlled by Daredevil Dan’s Last Will & Testament.

 

For questions about probate or estate planning contact Miller & Miller Law Group PLLC.