It started with an incorrect date. That’s it. There was only one overlooked page in a thick stack of documents.
By the time the mistake was caught, it had already been six months. Unfortunately, the client has passed away and probate had been opened. The damage was quiet at first but soon turned into a legal firestorm.
Their original plan was solid and well thought out. A trust had been drafted and the intention to skip probate was clear. They wanted to make things smooth for their children. But the house never made it into the trust. The deed transfer had been prepped, and even recorded. But the trust name was typed in without the correct date. It was just a small clerical error.
But the house never made it into the trust.
The deed transfer had been prepped. Recorded, even. But the trust name was typed in without the correct date. A small clerical error. Harmless, someone thought.
However, the county clerk rejected it and no one noticed. The home stayed in the individuals name. When she passed, the house, worth over a million dollars, ended up in probate.
The Chain Reaction Begins
Now a court had to get involved.
That meant:
- Hiring a probate attorney
- Filing petitions and notices
- Waiting on hearings
- Paying court costs
- Freezing access to the property
While the family waited, the insurance deadlines loomed, maintenance bills were piling up and one sibling wanted to sell the property. Old resentments were surfacing.
The price tag began to grow all because of one incorrect date and a form no one double-checked. This happens more than you think. It’s not just missed signatures and incorrect dates. Mistakes can come in many shapes:
- Naming the wrong person as beneficiary
- Using a nickname instead of a legal name
- Forgetting to retitle an account into the trust
- Leaving off one child from a list of heirs
- Letting a will sit unsigned in a desk drawer
Each one seems minor. Until it isn’t.
Preventing these mistakes isn’t complicated but it does require attention. It’s important to slow down and double check. Don’t hesitate to ask questions and work with someone who does this every day.
That last one matters. Estate planning is not paperwork. It’s structure. It’s legal precision. It’s knowing which sentence, or missing punctuation mark, can throw everything off balance.
Ultimately, the bottom line is that a $500 mistake can easily cost ten times that in court. Not just in dollars, but in time and stress. The accuracy and details matter.
