Property Transferred Without Probate

There are 4 kinds of property which pass to a new owner on death without going through Probate Court:

1. Property which is owned by the decedent and another person as joint tenants with right of survivorship, will pass automatically to the surviving joint owner without going through Probate Court (except in the case of certain joint bank accounts which are established with another person who is to act as agent for the decedent.)
2. Beneficiary designated properties (such as life insurance, pension benefits, and IRAs) are payable on death, without probate, to the beneficiary designated by the decedent (or, if none, as designated in the contract or plan itself.)
3. Properties owned by a revocable trust do not go through Probate Court, but instead are disposed of after death in accordance with the instructions written into the trust document.