Probate is a legal term and a process. The term refers to the actions by a court to prove what the final wishes of a decedent are and who their legal heirs are. The process is the administration and distributing of the estate left behind by a person with no written instructions or will.Going through the court probate system is time taking and expensive, which is why persons attempt to avoid probate by having a clear and valid will drawn up by an attorney. The probate court can appoint an executor of a will who then acts as a personal representative for that estate. They determine what the interests of any heirs or other concerned parties are, and whether their claims against an estate are valid and lawful.Certain probate procedures must be followed when an estate passes into that court’s j