Probate is a process by which the Court supervises the handling and distribution of an estate. Typically a probate must be filed in the state where the decedent resided at the time of death and also may be required in other states where the decedent owned real property. The probate process is needed for in three typical situations: (1) people who pass away “intestate” (i.e. without a will or trust); (2) people who have a will, but no trust and (3) people who have a trust but failed to title assets in the trust name or with a beneficiary. The assets titled in the decedent’s name alone may need to be probated. Furthermore, even if there is a trust and certain assets are not properly funded to the trust, the probate process will allow those assets to be titled in the trust name after the probate process is completed. During this process, the Court will appoint an Administrator/Executor to handle marshalling the decedent’s assets, handle creditor claims and oversee the distribution of assets at the conclusion of the probate process. This process can be confusing, expensive and take significant time to complete, especially after losing a loved one. Our office can assist in helping to ease this burden for you during this emotional time, make sure the process goes as smoothly as possible and making sure that all of the documents necessary are done correctly. We are dedicated to making sure that the probate is completed in as short a time as possible.