What is Probate?

Probate is a legal term that refers to the probate of a Will or the probate of a decedents 

estate who passed without a Will in the court system and/or the administration of 

an decedent's estate within the court system

Probate is an area of the law that refers to the Court process of administering an Estate.  This is done by opening a probate Estate matter in the county the person dies in, obtaining the Court’s permission via Letters of Office to handle the decedent's assets and debts, and distributing those assets and paying the debts according to the Will or the Illinois Probate Code if there is no Will. 

 Once the assets and debts of the estate have been handled, the Court will approve a Final Report and Accounting of the representative and the estate to be closed. 

Our Crystal Lake Probate attorneys have been helping family's navigate this process for over 48 years and are happy to answer any questions you may have.