Probate is the legal process of administering an estate after someone dies. In this way, your property passes directly to your beneficiaries. Probate includes the following:
- Proving in court that a deceased person’s will is valid
- Identifying and inventorying the deceased person’s property
- Property appraisal
- Paying debts and taxes
- Distributing property as directed by a will
- Transferring title and ownership of assets to the property beneficiaries
