Is it possible for an estate to avoid Probate?
Yes. Establishing a Living Trust or Joint Tenancy during your lifetime is a popular probate avoidance technique.
In some cases, when it is too late to create such devices, Probate might still be avoided if the estate doesn't contain much property and there are no disputes among heirs or beneficiaries. Executors must still perform estate administration and accounting duties, though. For this reason, they should consult an attorney regardless of whether an estate is being probated.