What do people go to probate court for? 6 Answers as of September 01, 2011

Probate is the process by which a person's will is given effect: it governs the disposition of someone's estate when they pass away. Frequently, this includes a house.

Probate is a process to transfer property and other assets, pay debts and generally wind up a person's worldly affairs upon death. You need to speak to an attorney as to how it affects your house because not enough information is given.

When someone passes away with assets that are solely in their name (such as a bank account or their house), in order for title to the property to pass to the deceased person's beneficiaries, a probate needs to be opened. In a probate, if the deceased person has a Will, then the Will dictates who gets the property and who serves as personal representative/executor of the estate (this is the person who gathers the assets, pays off the creditors, and distributes the assets to the beneficiaries). If there is no Will, then the estate is known as an "intestate" estate, and Florida law dictates who serves as personal representative and who is entitled to inherit the deceased person's estate.

Generally speaking probate court is to administer assets of a deceased person. There are numerous reasons why someone goes to probate court. Probate records are public. You can review the file if you want to find out.

The purpose of Probate Court is to transfer assets from someone who has died to the people that the person wanted to receive that property. The Probate Court appoints someone (an Executor or Administrator) to act in the place of the deceased person to sign the necessary documents to transfer the assets. It is also the job of the Executor or Administrator to gather all of the assets and to pay all of the just debts of the person who passed. It is a way to wrap up the financial issues of a person's life.

In Georgia probate courts handle probate of estates, gun licenses, marriage licenses, and guardianship. In some counties they also do traffic cases.