With the State’s impersonal plan, if you don’t have a Will or Trust, who does your stuff go to?  Most, if not all states have already decided that for you and how much they get.

Their plan is called “intestate succession” or sometimes “estate administration.”  Most people just call it Probate. 

It is like Probate, but with more steps and complicated steps with every step completed in the proper order.  The court oversees every step much more closely than if there was a Will or a Trust.

The attorney can ask for about 3% of your GROSS estate.  The executor can ask for another 3% of your GROSS estate.  Your gross estate is the value of all property without subtracting out what is owed on it.  For example, if you have a $250,000 house and owe $240,000 the lawyer gets 3% of $250,000 ($7,500) and the executor gets another 3% ($7,500) minimum.  If there is litigation involved, those numbers rapidly rise.