What happens in Probate Court?
Probate is a legal process whereby a court oversees the distribution of assets left by a deceased person's will. Assets are anything a person owns with value, such as real and personal property and cash, for instance.
The will is "proved" and delivered to the court. The deceased person's will can be proved by an affidavit made under oath by the witnesses to the will. If such an affidavit is unavailable, the personal presence of the witnesses will be required in court to testify that at the time the will was signed, the deceased person was of sound mind and knew what he or she was doing.
A personal representative is selected. A personal representative is someone who handles the deceased person's affairs. A will generally names a personal representative who, if willing to serve and otherwise qualified, will be approved by the court. If a person dies without a will, the court will select the personal representative, usually the spouse, an adult child or another close relative. If none of those people are available or willing to be the personal representative, the court may choose a bank, trust company or lawyer.
A notice to creditors is published in a local newspaper. This public notice to creditors tells the creditors that they have four months to bring any claim against the estate for debts the deceased person owes them. The personal representative also gives written notice to all known and possible creditors.
The decedent's estate is responsible for paying all expenses related to the
