What is probate?

Probate is the process of winding up the affairs of the person who has died (the decedent), and includes asking the court to appoint a personal representative (sometimes called an "executor") of the decedent's estate, and to determine if there is a valid will.

An "estate" is the collection of real and personal property belonging to the decedent at the time of their death, as well as any debts they owed.

Probate is required if:

the estate includes real property (land, house, condominium, mineral rights) of any value, and/or

the estate has assets (other than land, and not including cars) whose net worth is more than $100,000.