"Probate can eat up a chunk of the estate in legal fees." James’ family learned this the hard way. When he passed without a trust, his estate went through probate—dragging on for 14 months and costing over $45,000 in court fees and legal expenses. His daughter was forced to pay out-of-pocket for property taxes and maintenance on his home while waiting for the case to be resolved. Worse, a distant relative he never intended to inherit came forward with a legal claim, delaying the process even fur