How probate works in Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia and California: the court process step by step, what it costs, the assets that pass outside probate, and what changes when the decedent or the heirs live abroad.
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Continental Europe and the United States answer the same succession questions differently: forced heirship, joint titles and beneficiary designations, notaries, trusts, marital property, inheritance tax against estate tax, and the settlement of the estate.
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How the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia divide the estate of a person who dies without a last will and testament, as of 2026.
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Members of foreign embassies and consulates, and the officers and employees of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Organization of American States and the United Nations, live in the United States under a legal regime of their own. Their salaries are not taxed here, their days of presence do not count toward income tax
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For families with assets in several countries or non-US citizenships, comprehensive estate planning is essential to ensure that the planned transfer of all assets works well under the laws of the affected countries and the various components of the estate plan do not counteract each other. Regarding the laws of other countries, we partner with competent advisers in these
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I was recently asked whether spouses can be disinherited in Virginia. I found this question quite amusing. While in this country parents may disinherit even their minor children (for whose well-being and very existence they bear responsibility), married couples may not disinherit each other. I find this quite ironic, given the 50% divorce rate. And it is my conviction that
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