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When a person dies, two important matters?are payment of the decedent s ?outstanding debts and transfer of his property to those entitled to it. Probate ?is the court proceeding for settling someone s final affairs.

Probate proceedings are strictly a matter of state law. The legal rules and procedures vary a lot from state to state. Except where the state has simplified rules for small or uncomplicated cases, expert advice is needed.

A typical probate case begins with the filing of the decedent s?will in the probate court. This is usually a special division of the local court that handles probate and related matters. In some states, like New York, the probate court may be called surrogate s court. The case must be filed in the county where the decedent resided at the time of death.

Anyone may file the will. Usually this is done by the person appointed by the decedent to carry out his last wishes. This person is called the executor in most states, and is sometimes called the personal representative .

Along with the will the executor also files a request asking the court to admit the will to probate. This pleading may be called a Petition for Probate of Will and Appointment of Executor or some similar name. The clerk of court may have a form that you can use instead of preparing the document from scratch.

Usually the court will approve the will as filed. It will then issue an order admitting the will to probate. The court clerk then records the will. Usually the executor must publish notice of the probate proceeding in the local newspaper. The point of publication is to advise any person who might have an interest in the decedent s affairs to make this known. It also puts creditors on notice to file claims for payment.

The probate estate means any of the decedent s property that must be transferred according to the will. This does not include property that transfers automatically on death. An example of this is a joint bank account, or a retirement account that already has a designated beneficiary. This property is called the non-probate estate.

Most probate cases proceed smoothly from a legal standpoint, despite the distress of loved ones and possibly the disappointment of someone named or not named in the will. Occasionally though, a person may object to the proceeding.

Usually this involves a claim that the will offered for probate is invalid. Common reasons for invalidity include forgery or the testator wasn t of sound mind when he made the will. It could also be that someone exerted undue influence on the testator. Most often though, the claim is the decedent executed a later will and revoked the one being offered. The court will try the case and decide on the correct will if there s evidence to support the dispute.

Sometimes the objection is aimed at the executor. The probate court could reject the executor you appoint in your will. For example, the nominee could be mentally incompetent to manage the case. Executors can also be removed after appointment for several reasons.

The probate court also handles the affairs of persons who die without a will. This is called intestacy. The court will appoint an administrator to handle the case. Usually the court will appoint the surviving spouse or an adult child for the job. The process then is quite similar to that for a will, with the administrator collecting the decedent s property, paying his debts and distributing what s left. The big difference is that the property is distributed according to fixed legal rules. This may or may not have been what the decedent would have done had he given it some thought.