What Does Going Through Probate Entail?

A brief summary of necessary steps in most probate processes includes:

• Petition of the probate court to start the process
• Publication in a local newspaper
• Notification of all interested parties, including creditors and beneficiaries or heirs
• Issuing of a document by the court that allows the personal representative to gather assets, deal with creditors, pay taxes, confirm identity of all beneficiaries or heirs, request a court date, and at that court hearing, obtain a signed order by a probate judge
• Distribution of assets

This description is not intended to be comprehensive or cover all contingencies. It is here for illustrative purposes only.