People still need to plan their estate, to make sure their property goes to the persons they want it to go to, and to avoid probateon succession to their property.
Jointly owned assets generally pass on to the joint owner without going through probate, but for assets without a joint owner or designated beneficiary, you may have to change the way the assets are held in order to avoid probate.
Moreover, insurance policies and IRAs made payable to specific beneficiaries (as opposed to your estate) and bank or investment accounts made payable on death aren't part of your court administered "probate" estate.
The probate court documents, reviewed by The Associated Press on Wednesday, shed no light on the circumstances of Khan's death, but they do add a layer of drama to an already baffling case.
Some states mandate tedious inventory and accounting rules for probate, while others allow the beneficiaries to simply sign off on the executor's proposed distribution.