Probate

The court process following a person's death that includes

• proving the authenticity of the deceased person's will
• appointing someone to handle the deceased person's affairs
• identifying and inventorying the deceased person's property
• paying debts and taxes
• identifying heirs, and
• distributing the deceased person's property according to the will or, if there is no will, according to state law.

Formal court-supervised probate is a costly, time-consuming process -- a windfall for lawyers -- which is best avoided if possible.