How we write
We write for a reader who may be grieving, is probably worried about money, and does not have time for drama. So:
- Plain English first. Every legal term is translated in the same sentence it appears. “Letters testamentary — the court document proving you’re the executor.”
- Exact where the law is exact. Where a statute sets a formula, we show the formula and work an example. Where it doesn’t, we say so and show what is actually fixed.
- No figure floats free. Every number sits on the same line as its citation and its verification date.
- Short sentences, no padding. If a sentence doesn’t help you understand a cost, it doesn’t run.
What we don’t do
- We don’t predict the outcome of any probate.
- We don’t advise a course of action. “Here is what it costs; here is what affects it; a probate attorney can tell you what applies to you.”
- We don’t dramatize. Probate is a process with published prices, not a trap.
Sourcing
Our full sourcing and verification standard is published on the methodology page: official sources only, human verification of every figure, dated stamps, annual re-checks, and a 72-hour correction policy.
AI assistance
Research and drafting on this site are AI-assisted. Every published figure is verified by a person against the official source before it appears, and the verification date is stamped next to it. No figure is published on an AI’s word alone.
How this site makes money
This site may earn money in two ways: advertising or affiliate relationships, and connecting readers who ask for it with licensed probate attorneys.
Two commitments govern both:
- Money never touches the figures. No fee, formula, threshold, or ranking on this site is influenced by any commercial relationship. The statute says what it says.
- Lead forms are labeled and separate. If you see a “Talk to a probate attorney” section, that is the commercial part of the page. It never appears inside an answer or a tool result, and the answers are complete without it.
Bylines
Every page carries the byline of the person who verified its figures, linked to the methodology page. We do not use fictional authors or invented credentials.