When someone dies, their estate may need to go through probate, which is the legal process of handling their property and debts. To begin a probate case, the person asking the court to open the case (called the petitioner) must file certain documents with the probate court. Here is how you get a checklist of the court documents.

The personal representative (also known as the executor) is the person appointed by the court to manage the estate. This person has many important duties, one of which is making sure that certain documents are shared with other people involved in the case. When these documents are delivered, the personal representative must file something called a proof of service with the court.

When someone dies and leaves behind real property (like a house or land), that property often needs to be sold as part of settling their estate. If the estate is in probate, special steps must be followed to sell the property legally. This summary explains, in simple terms, how to sell real property during a probate case.

When you don't agree with the way the probate case is going. This is the post and video for you.

To initiate formal probate, the petitioner (often a family member or interested party) must file several documents with the probate court.