Probate in Illinois is a term that refers to the Court process of administering a deceased person’s estate. In the administration process, the representative of the estate must collect all of the deceased person’s assets and pay all final debts of the estate. Once this has been done, the representative must make distributions of any remaining property according to the deceased’s Will, or, in the absence of a Will, according to the Illinois laws of Intestacy.
By making a Will, you can direct a Court regarding who
you want to serve as the representative of your estate (your Executor), and you
can give specific directions about how you want your property to be distributed
upon your death. Because of how
beneficial Wills are in a person’s estate plan and in the probate estate after death, it is advisable for everyone to have
at least a basic Will.
