noun / adjective / verb
probate
PROH-bayt/ˈprəʊbeɪt/
The legal process of validating a will and administering an estate.
The executor hires a lawyer to guide the estate through probate.
Etymology
The expression “a thing proved” supplied a legal name for the official proving of a will. Establishing the will’s validity is the historical core of the broader process of administering it.
In context
probate if you don't have a trust even if you have a will you have to go through probate that is a multi-year process
More examples
- The probate court appoints someone to administer the estate.
- Her father's will was probated last year.
- The estate remains in probate while the heirs dispute the will.
Forms
probate · probates · probated · probating
Similar words
- administration
- Estate administration manages assets and debts, without necessarily validating a will.