Probate Court
Probate court proceedings can be a mysterious process. After all, most of us wrap up the affairs of a deceased loved one only once or twice in our lives. You may want to hire a lawyer to handle the actual court paperwork for you. Or you may decide to go it alone, with the help of materials provided by the court. (More and more courts are publishing helpful overviews, forms, and instructions online.)
Shepherding an estate through probate court usually involves a lot of paperwork. If you decide to tackle probate without a lawyer, the court clerk should be your new best friend. You’ll go to the clerk’s office for forms and instructions about the probate court process in your county. Every county has its own peculiarities and requirements. Just don’t go to the clerk’s office for legal advice—they won’t give it, because they’re not lawyers.
When your loved ones die, what happens to their property? Will you need to deal with probate court proceedings, and if so, how complex will the process be? Where do you even start? The probate process can be intimidating, but a good overview can make all the difference. Start by learning about the probate process in these overviews we've written for many of the major states.
Arizona
California
Florida
Georgia
Illinois
Indiana
Massachusetts
Michigan
New Jersey
North Carolina
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Tennessee
Texas
Virginia
Washington
State Overviews of the Probate Process
When your loved ones die, what happens to their property? Will you need to deal with probate court proceedings, and if so, how complex will the process be? Where do you even start? The probate process can be intimidating, but a good overview can make all the difference. Start by learning about the probate process in these overviews we've written for many of the major states.
The probate process can be long and drawn out, costing your survivors time and money. Fortunately, many states offer probate shortcuts. Most of these shortcuts are for “small estates” (estates valued below a dollar amount set by the state). Depending on your state’s laws, your loved ones might be able to use simplified probate procedures or even skip probate entirely. You can learn more about your state's probate shortcuts by choosing your state below.
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
D.C.
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Simplified Probate Procedures in Your State
The probate process can be long and drawn out, costing your survivors time and money. Fortunately, many states offer probate shortcuts. Most of these shortcuts are for “small estates” (estates valued below a dollar amount set by the state). Depending on your state’s laws, your loved ones might be able to use simplified probate procedures or even skip probate entirely. You can learn more about your state's probate shortcuts by choosing your state below.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- D.C.
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Depending on your state's law, your inheritors may be able to skip regular probate.
If an estate is small enough, under state law, then inheritors won't have to go to probate court at all.
To create a joint tenancy, be sure to use the right legal words on the deed or title document.
You've heard that you should avoid probate—but why? Here are the basics.
It's rare, but courts can toss out a will if it doesn't meet certain requirements.
Probate lending is a way to get a portion of your inheritance quickly. But if you take a probate loan, the lender—not you—will receive your inheritance when probate ends. Learn how inheritance lending works, and why to be skeptical.
Empower Yourself: DIY Products by Nolo
Sidestep the lawyers with do-it-yourself books, documents, and software.
Online Form
Quicken WillMaker & Trust 2025 by Nolo
Online Form
Amendment to Living Trust
Nolo offers hundreds of consumer-friendly, do-it-yourself legal products for all types of legal situations. Browse our full product list.
More Legal Issues
Click below to view more legal issues. Our extensive collection of legal topics ranges across different areas of practice.
Corporations Car Accidents Criminal Law Debt Management Disability Law Divorce & Family Law
Learn About Our Team
Our editors have over 100 years of combined experience practicing law. These professionals have worked in a wide range of legal areas, from estate planning to criminal law to business formation and beyond. They’re experts at explaining complicated legal issues in easy-to-understand terms.
Learn more about the team that manages Nolo’s articles, books, and DIY tools.
Need a Lawyer? We Can Help
Find an experienced, local attorney in three easy steps. Our process is designed for ease and simplicity.
Describe Your Case
Briefly tell us about your case, and provide your contact information.
Get Connected
We find and instantly list attorneys that can best handle your case.
Hire an Attorney
Choose the attorneys you would like to work with.
Nolo Legal Dictionary
At Nolo, we prioritize quality and transparency because we know how important reliable legal information is to our readers. Our information is meticulously researched, regularly updated, and written in plain English by our experienced writers and editors. Learn more about our editorial standards.
Are You an Attorney?
Grow your firm with Martindale-Nolo, the largest legal network, and learn more about our attorney lead-generation and marketing services.
Integrity and Expertise You Can Rely On
At Nolo, we prioritize quality and transparency because we know how important reliable legal information is to our readers. Our information is meticulously researched, regularly updated, and written in plain English by our experienced writers and editors. Learn more about our editorial standards.
Copyright ©2025 MH Sub I, LLC dba Nolo ® Self-help services may not be permitted in all states. The information provided on this site is not legal advice, does not constitute a lawyer referral service, and no attorney-client or confidential relationship is or will be formed by use of the site. The attorney listings on this site are paid attorney advertising. In some states, the information on this website may be considered a lawyer referral service. Please reference the Terms of Use and the Supplemental Terms for specific information related to your state. Your use of this website constitutes acceptance of the Terms of Use, Supplemental Terms, Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, and Consumer Health Data Notice.
Your Privacy Choices