Probate

What Is Probate—And How to Keep Your Family Out of It

What is probate? Probate is the court-supervised legal process of validating someone's will, settling debts, and distributing their assets after death. In simple terms, it’s the legal system stepping in to help transfer someone’s affairs from one chapter to the next. Courts oversee probate to make sure: * debts get paid * the will is legitimate * assets go to the correct people * nobody “forgets” to mention the lake house Probate happens at the state level, which means timelines, costs,