According to Folsom Probate Law and their probate attorney, not everything you own will immediately go through probate. The obvious properties that will need to be probated are those with a title that remains in your name just.

These might include savings account, financial investments, home, other realty, cars, etc. Just the probate court can take your name off the title and put somebody else’s name on if yours is the only name on the title and you are deceased.

Possessions that typically do not go through probate are:

1) collectively owned assets that move to the enduring owner;

2) properties that have a valid recipient classification; and

3) assets that remain in a trust. These possessions do not constantly prevent probate.

Collectively-owned possessions that transfer to the surviving owner do not go through probate. If the enduring owner dies without adding another owner, or if both owners die at the very same time, the property needs to be probated before it can go to the successors.

You should be aware that the transfer of this ownership takes place immediately upon the very first owner’s death. So, even if your will states you desire someone else to receive your share (like your kids from a previous marriage) and you pass away initially, the asset will still go to the making it through owner who can then do whatever he/she wants with it– and your kids would likely be disinherited.

Another kind of joint ownership is tenants-in-common. With this sort of joint ownership, if you die first, your share will be dispersed as directed in your will (or to your heirs if there is no will); it will not go to the other owner unless your will says so. This lets you manage who receives your share, but the asset will have to go through probate.

2. Beneficiary Designations. Some properties– including insurance coverage, IRAs, retirement plans and some checking account– let you call a beneficiary.

These properties will be paid directly to the person(s) you have called as recipient without probate when you die. Well, that is the way it is supposed to work, but it doesn’t always occur that way.

If your beneficiary passes away before you or at the same time as you, the profits will have to go through probate so they can be dispersed with your other assets.

If your beneficiary is incapacitated, the probate court will probably take control of the funds through a guardianship/conservatorship. Because the institution will not knowingly pay to an unskilled individual and will normally firmly insist on court guidance, this is.
If you list “my estate” as beneficiary, the court will need to determine who “my estate” is. The funds will go through probate and be dispersed with your other assets.

A probate court will most likely have to establish a guardianship for the child if you name a small as the recipient. Many organizations will not pay straight to a minor or to another person for the child’s benefit; they do not want the possible legal liabilities and will generally need evidence of a court-supervised guardianship.

3. Trust Assets.
The will and your assets will have to go through probate before the trust can go into a result. Any possessions you leave out of your living trust will probably also have to go through probate.