probate process
Will validation procedure
The probate process is the legal procedure for settling a deceased person's estate.
It typically involves validating a will, inventorying assets, paying debts and taxes, and distributing what remains to heirs.
Courts oversee the process to ensure proper handling: The probate process took nearly a year to complete.
Dying without a will complicates matters, as state laws then determine distribution.
- last willPosthumous asset instructions
- letters testamentaryCourt-issued executor authority
- executorAppointed estate manager
- personal representativeOne administering an estate
- heirsThose who inherit
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