Which assets will flow through an estate?

Estate administration begins with ownership form. A joint tenancy with right of survivorship normally passes directly to the survivor, while an inter vivos trust owns the property outside the deceased's personal estate and a properly funded buy-sell arrangement directs business continuity through contract. Tenancy in common is different: each owner holds a separate, divisible interest. On death, that interest does not disappear and does not vest automatically in the other co-owner. It is property of the deceased and is administered under the will or, if there is no valid will, under intestacy legislation. For AFP purposes, the tested distinction is probate exposure versus survivorship or beneficiary transfer. The asset described in option B is therefore the one that flows through the estate. Study Guide focus: estate ownership, survivorship, trusts, probate property, and estate administration. This distinction is central when determining executor authority, probate value, and whether an asset bypasses estate administration by contract or title.

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