In order to do any “estate planning,” one must first understand the distinction between probate and nonprobate property. Probate property passes under a will. Nonprobate property passes outside a will, transferring automatically to a person (or people) that the owner has designated during...

Prior to 2011, the most efficient estate tax planning for married couples required a minimal level of asset equalization. In order to take maximum advantage of all existing wealth transfer tax exemptions and credits, each spouse needed to own, in an estate tax sense, enough assets to be able to...