Probate is the court-supervised process of administering a deceased person’s estate—proving the validity of a Will (if there is one), appointing a personal representative, identifying and gathering assets, paying debts and taxes, and distributing remaining property to the rightful beneficiaries. In Texas, probate can be relatively streamlined when a properly drafted Will provides for independent administration, but it can become lengthy and expensive if the estate is contested, poorly planned, or intestate (without a Will).
