And in the case of investments, there is an _advantage_ to going through the legal process (in the US): you get a step up in basis.

> Step-up in basis refers to the adjustment in the cost basis of an inherited asset to its fair market value on the date of the decedent's death.

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/stepupinbasis.asp

Many elders in my immigrant family have passed, but because my family has a distrust of lawyers and the legal system, we've managed to never receive this benefit.