Nonprobate Transfer Definition

The distribution of a deceased person's property by any means other than probate. Many types of property pass free of probate, including (in some states) property left to a surviving spouse and property left outside of a will through probate-avoidance methods such as pay-on-death designations, joint tenancy ownership, living trusts, and life insurance. Property that avoids probate is sometimes described as the nonprobate estate.