What does a will in probate mean?
What does a will in probate mean? Min Austria Assistant at Ascent Law LLC A will in probate refers to a will that is being processed through the court system after the death of the person who wrote it. The term "probate" comes from "probatum," which is Latin for "approved." This can be confusing because wills are not normally approved, but are merely a way to distribute property and money according to a written law. In order for the will to be valid, the person who wrote it must have been of sound mind when he or she did so. If he or she was not, it is considered invalid. If there is any question about whether or not a person was of sound mind when he or she wrote a will, then it will go through probate. After someone dies, his or her estate is given to his or her heirs, who are often named in their wills. In order to distribute the estate correctly, a judge must examine the will and all of its contents. Once this is done, any debts that the deceased had a...