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Someone hands you a piece of paper. It's not typed. There's no notary stamp, and maybe there aren't even any witness signatures, and they say, "This is Mom's will." Is that actually legal? Or is it just a note? This question comes up constantly in families dealing with a loved one's estate. A handwritten will, known legally as a holographic will, can absolutely be valid in Utah. But it has to meet specific requirements, and misunderstanding those requirements is one of the m

If you're a beneficiary of a trust and it's been weeks — or months — since your loved one passed away, you're probably asking the question every beneficiary in your position asks: how long is this supposed to take? Here's what surprises most people: there usually isn't a hard legal deadline that says a trustee must "distribute everything within 60 days" or "within six months." Once you understand why that is, you'll have a much clearer sense of what's normal — and what's actu

If a parent, spouse, or loved one has recently passed away and something about their will doesn't sit right with you, you're probably asking yourself one question: how hard is it to actually contest a will? It's one of the most common questions families ask us after a death in the family — and the honest answer is more nuanced than most people expect. Contesting a will isn't impossible, but it isn't as simple as disagreeing with how someone divided their estate, either. Below