Probate and Estate Administration

Probate is the court-supervised process that oversees that payment of an individual’s debts after they have died and the subsequent distributions of the deceased’s assets to their heirs and/or beneficiaries. Managing all of the details involved in settling the deceased’s estate via probate is the process of estate administration.

Contested Petitions for Letters

If an individual dies without leaving a will in place, the court will appoint an administrator to manage the settling of the estate. This process does not simply involve picking someone, but must first go through the Petition for Letters of Administration and then must be approved by the court. An objection to the Petition for Letters may be made which will then cause the estate to become contested.