Probate had a bad rap when I was in law school. There were–and still are–numerous guides for consumers on how to avoid probate. Washington has a fairly streamlined probate process, though, and so it’s not the Worst Thing in the World if you choose an estate plan that leads to probate.
In my opinion, the latest interesting development in the practice of probate law is the emergence of Collaborative Probate practice. I wrote a little piece on this way to approach probate disputes. Here it is: Free to Choose – July 2012 (originally published in the July 2012 issue of the King County Bar Association Bar Bulletin and reprinted with permission of the King County Bar Association).