What are the alternative methods of estate administration?
• The alternative methods of estate administration available depend on the size of the estate. • For estates valued at less than $100,000, the estate can be distributed through the filing of affidavits detailing the death of the person and the distribution of the property. • For estates valued at less than $20,000, the Small Estate Set-Aside procedure can be used. This procedure is used when there is a surviving spouse and/or minor children. The use of this procedure cuts off any rights a third-party may have to property under a will or the laws of intestacy. • Other procedures exist for surviving spouses entitled to property under a will or the laws of intestacy. This property can be passed through a Spousal Property Petition. • Estate planning, if correctly done can lower the value of the estate to under $100,000 so that the affidavit procedure, instead of formal probate administration, can be used and thereby decrease the fees paid to a probate attorney. • One danger of these proced
