What is Probate?

Probate is a court-supervised method of administering an estate after someone has passed away, whereby the state reviews the probate assets that an individual owned at the time of death. This process requires the Executor or Personal Representative of the estate to gather detailed information on the value of those assets as of the date of death, and requires him or her to account for all receipts and disbursements from estate assets that have occurred since the date of death. The procedure for paying the decedent’s bills, dealing with claims against the estate, and distributing the remaining assets are also governed by the probate process.