A will speaks only at death. It offers no help if someone becomes ill or is unable to manage finances. Separate documents, such as a durable power of attorney, must fill that gap. A living trust names ...

Probate court is a specialized type of court that deals with the property and debts of a person who has died. The primary function of probate court is to ensure that a decedent's estate is distributed ...

When a person passes away, their estate must go through a legal process called probate, where the court validates the will and oversees the distribution of assets. This public process is intended to ...

When someone dies, particularly if there’s no will, property sales and the disposal of all of their other assets are handled by a probate court, whose mandate is to get the highest possible prices.

Circuit Judge David Mouton, elected probate judge in 2006, agreed, saying the court “does act on the basis of information properly brought before the court.” Mouton agreed to discuss procedures of the ...

In Hamilton, for example, survey respondents indicated that applications are normally processed within three to six months.