Wills and Trusts, do we need both?
My father died about a year ago, and my mother had a living will prepared a while ago. There is only me and my sister in the family. I was told that a will is sufficient, and that you don’t need a living trust. But now I’m hearing that if you don’t have a living trust along with a will, someone can contest it, and it can end up in probate. I want to avoid this. So my question is: do you have to have a living trust along with a will to avoid probate?

durable power of attorney
can’t make out this word on a
2000 durable poa form…the paragraph starts out…”to bargain and agree for, buy sell, mortgage, hypothecae, and in any and every way and manner deal in and with goods, wares and merchandise, chooses in action, and other property, wether real, personal or ———– ”(it looks like hicoporcal but can’t tell because the paper is folded and worn) any idea what this word is? The paragraph finishes with ”To make, do and transact all and every kind of business.
Please help me as the county will not record the P.O.A (even though it is notarized)because they say I need to type out a legible copy of the original.