What is probate and what is the purpose of probate?
Probate is a court procedure used to change ownership of assets from the name of an individual who has passed away into the name of the living beneficiaries. It is also where all creditors of a decedent file claims to collect their debts and where interested parties who have a complaint regarding the deceased can file their complaint. These complaints can often lead to will contests or other litigation for the probate court to proceed over until the issue is settled. Even without a contest, probate can be costly and time-consuming.
