Probate is the court-supervised process by which a deceased
individual's assets are transferred after death. Assets that
are titled in an individual's sole name at death without an
appropriate beneficiary designation become part of that
decedent's probate estate and must make their way through
probate. The goal of the probate process is to protect the rights
of heirs, beneficiaries and creditors.
Probate can be costly and time consuming, making it an
undesirable process. Because it is court-supervised, documents
filed with the court (such as the decedent's will and an
inventory of the decedent's probate property) become public
record. Expenses generally include court costs, personal
representative fees and reimbursements, and attorney fees. With
respect to duration, probate of a large or contested estate can
drag on for years. Probate of a smaller estate, even if
uncomplicated, may last six months or longer, depending on the
types of assets owned, the complexity of
