Probate Law

Probate Law

Probate law consists of several distinct areas of law.

• First, probate of estates of deceased people is the best known area. This is the process by which the law attempts to insure the proper distribution of the deceased person’s estate.
• Second, probate law deals with all areas of family law, such as paternity, divorce, child custody, guardianship, conservatorship, adoption, and name changes.
• Third, probate law involves the proper administration of trusts to insure the wishes of the trust’s creator are properly carried out.

Challenges to trusts and trustees actions are heard in the probate court.

Probate law goes hand in hand with estate planning, to a great degree. The decisions made at the planning stages may well be reviewed by or challenged in the probate court.

An extensive knowledge of probate law is required by a good estate planner.