How does the probate process actually work step by step?

Probate is the court-supervised process of settling a deceased person's estate. First, the will is filed and the court appoints an executor (or an administrator if there's no will). The executor gathers and inventories assets, notifies creditors and gives them a window to make claims, pays valid debts and any taxes, and then distributes what's left to the beneficiaries. Finally, the executor files a final accounting and the court closes the estate.

The timeline runs from several months to more than a year, and court and attorney fees can consume a few percent of the estate. Probate is also public record. Assets with beneficiaries or held in trust generally skip probate, which is why many people plan to minimize it.