In Utah, you can make a living trust to avoid probate for virtually any asset you own—real estate, bank accounts, vehicles, and so on. You need to create a trust document (similar to a will), naming someone to take over as trustee after your death (called a "successor trustee").
Probate is required if: the estate includes real property (land, house, inium, mineral rights) of any value, and/or. the estate has assets (other than land, and not including cars) whose net worth is more than $100,000.
Except as provided in Section 75-3-1201, to be effective to prove the transfer of any property or to nominate a personal representative, a will must be declared to be valid by an order of informal probate by the registrar, or an adjudication of probate by the court, except that a duly executed and unrevoked will which ...
Witnesses: A Utah will must be signed by at least two witnesses, each of whom has signed within a reasonable time after witnessing the signing of the will or the testator's acknowledgment of the signature or of the will. Writing: A Utah will must be in writing. Beneficiaries: A testator can leave property to anyone.
You cannot avoid probate with only a will because wills cannot transfer property. This means if you have assets you want to pass to loved ones, it isn't covered in the will and a probate matter still has to be opened.
Your spouse will inherit all of your intestate property if you die without descendants, or if all surviving descendants are from you and your surviving spouse. If you have a spouse and no descendants, your spouse will inherit everything.
A small estate affidavit is not filed with the court. Instead, the decedent's successor fills out the form, signs it in front of a notary, and gives it to any third parties, such as the bank.
Small Estate Affidavit There is a separate affidavit that can be used to claim title to up to four boats, motor vehicles, trailers, or semi-trailers registered under Utah law. This affidavit is presented to the Utah Division of Motor Vehicles to transfer title of those vehicles or boats.
Property that is held in a revocable trust will avoid probate. However, it is not sufficient to just have a revocable trust. The deceased person's property must be held in it when she dies. Once a person signs a revocable trust, she should immediately transfer her property to the trust.