When someone passes away, their estate usually goes through probate before any assets are distributed. Once probate is complete and a grant of probate is issued, what happens next depends on how the will was set up. With a simple will, assets are passed directly to the beneficiaries. Once received, those assets become part of the beneficiary’s own estate and can be spent, sold, or passed on freely, but they are also exposed to risks like tax, debt, divorce, or care costs. With a trust based will