What is the definition of probate?
The legal process of proving before a court of competent jurisdiction that a document offered as the last will and testament of a deceased person is genuine. In addition to proving a will, it is the process of appointing an executor (sometimes referred to as a “personal representative”), and settling an estate, which includes marshalling the decedent’s assets and giving the decedent’s creditors an opportunity to have their valid claims resolved before the beneficiaries receive their distributions.
Tags: last will & testament, probate
