Avoiding probate in New York is achievable for most families, but it requires deliberate planning and proper titling of assets. The Surrogate's Court Procedure Act and the Estates, Powers and Trusts Law apply when assets are held in the decedent's individual name without a survivorship feature or beneficiary designation. Eliminating those individually owned assets eliminates the need for full probate. The most powerful single tool is the revocable living trust under Article 7
