• proving the authenticity of the deceased person's will
  • appointing someone to handle the deceased person's affairs
  • identifying and inventorying the deceased person's property
  • paying debts and taxes
  • identifying heirs, and
  • distributing the deceased person's property according to the will or, if there is no will, according to state law.
    • Formal probate is a costly, time-consuming process that is best avoided if possible. Most states now offer simplified probate procedures for estates of relatively small value. (See also: administrator, executor, personal representative)' />
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    Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary

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    probate
    The court-supervised process following a person's death that includes
    • proving the authenticity of the deceased person's will
    • appointing someone to handle the deceased person's affairs
    • identifying and inventorying the deceased person's property
    • paying debts and taxes
    • identifying heirs, and
    • distributing the deceased person's property according to the will or, if there is no will, according to state law.
    Formal probate is a costly, time-consuming process that is best avoided if possible. Most states now offer simplified probate procedures for estates of relatively small value. (See also: administrator, executor, personal representative)
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