Probate and Estate Administration

Follow the practical path from death and court appointment through inventory, claims, taxes, distributions, and closing.

Every guide opens with a simple explanation, then goes deeper into mechanics, tradeoffs, examples, state differences and sources.

Browse the guides Glossary
People waiting on a bench in a county courthouse hallway

Guides in this section

Look up a term

  • Start with

    What Is Probate?

    Probate is the court-supervised process for authenticating a will when required, appointing a personal representative, handling claims, accounting, and transferring probate property.

  • Ancillary Probate

    Ancillary probate is an additional proceeding that may be required where a decedent owned real estate or other locally governed property outside the primary probate state.

  • Closing an Estate

    Closing generally occurs after claims, expenses, taxes, distributions, and required accountings are resolved and the court or applicable procedure releases the representative.

  • Creditor Claims in an Estate

    Estate claim procedures establish how known and unknown creditors receive notice, present claims, and are paid or rejected before beneficiaries receive the remainder.

  • Estate Inventory and Accounting

    A fiduciary accounting traces starting assets, receipts, gains or losses, expenses, distributions, and property remaining, using the format and valuation rules required by governing law or the court.

  • Executor Responsibilities

    An executor or personal representative gathers and protects estate property, follows court and notice rules, evaluates claims, keeps records, addresses taxes, and distributes under the will and law.

  • Probate Timeline

    A typical probate moves from safeguarding property and filing a petition through appointment, notice, inventory, claims, taxes, distribution, accounting, and closing, but local law and estate complexity control timing.

  • Small-Estate Procedures

    Many states offer an affidavit, summary, simplified, or set-aside procedure for qualifying estates, but eligibility depends on local definitions, waiting periods, asset types, and value calculations.

What happens before, beside and after probate