As estate planners, many of our client meetings begin with this statement: “I need a will and I want to avoid probate.” The first thing we explain is that a will, although critical to a complete estate plan, does not “avoid probate.” While there are several ways to avoid probate, some are better than others, depending on the client’s personal and financial situation. A probate avoidance technique that works for a standard estate plan might be detrimental for a Medicaid plan. In this new program, we discuss the various methods for avoiding probate, and the potential pitfalls with some of them in different situations.