Genealogical information in the probate process -- testate inheritance
Some of the most valuable documents for genealogy are wills and the documents related to the legal process of administering a person's property after their death. This process is called probate. If the deceased wrote a valid will, probate is termed testate; if not, it is intestate. Probate occurs in order to provide an orderly and fair process to transfer property to the heirs of the deceased. A will guides this process, but lacking a will, transfer is guided by probate law. I will consider general information and wills in this column and intestate probate in the next.