The probate process is legal and occurs after a person has passed away. It involves proving the validity of the deceased person's will, identifying and valuing their assets, paying off any outstanding debts or taxes, and distributing the remaining assets to their beneficiaries according to the terms of the will (or according to state law if there is no will). The probate process can vary depending on the state where the deceased person lived, as each state has its own laws and regulations governing probate proceedings. The process can often be lengthy, expensive, and emotionally taxing for the deceased person's loved ones. Below are a collection of links to each states probate laws. 

Alabama 

• Title 43, Chapter 2: Administration of Estates 
• Title 43, Chapter 8: Probate Code 

Alaska 

• Title 13: Decedents’ Estates, Guardianships, Transfers, and Trusts 
• Title 13, Chapter 16: Probate of Wills and Administration 

Arizona 

• Title 14: Trusts, Estates and Protective Proceedings 
• Title 14, Chapter 3: Probate of Wills and Administration 

Arkansas 

• Title 28: Wills, Estates, and Fiduciary Relationships 

California 

• California Probate Code 

Colorado 

(Choose “Colorado Revised Statutes” from left navigation bar) 
• Title 15: Probate, Trusts, and Fiduciaries 
• Title 15, Articles 10-16: Colorado Probate Code 

Connecticut 

• Title 45a: Probate Courts and Procedure 

Delaware 

• Title 12: Decedents’ Estates and Fiduciary Relations 

Florida 

• Title XLII: Estates and Trusts 

Georgia 

• Title 53: Wills, Trusts, and Administration of Estates 
• Title 53, Chapter 5: Probate 

Hawaii 

• Title 30A: Uniform Probate Code 

Idaho 

• Title 15: Uniform Probate Code 

Illinois 

• Chapter 755: Estates 
• Chapter 755, ILCS 5: Probate Act of 1975 
• Chapter 760: Trusts and Fiduciaries 

Indiana 

• Title 29: Probate 
• Title 30: Trusts and Fiduciaries 

Iowa 

• Title XV, Chapter 633: Probate Code 

Kansas 

• Chapter 59: Probate Code 

Kentucky 

• Title XXIV, Chapter 394: Wills 
• Title XXIV, Chapter 395: Personal Representatives 

Louisiana 

• CC 1575: Olographic testament 
• CCP 2883: Olographic testament 
• CCP 2851: Petition for probate 
• CCP 2852: Documents submitted with petition for probate 

Maine 

• Title 18: Decedents’ Estates and Fiduciary Relations 
• Title 18-A: Probate Code 

Maryland 

• The Office of the Register of Wills (Estates and Trusts, Titles 1-16) 

Massachusetts 

• MGL, Part II, Title II: Descent and Distribution, Wills, Estates of Deceased Persons and Absentees, Guardianship, Conservatorship and Trusts 

Michigan 

• Chapters 701-713: Probate Code 

Minnesota 

• Chapter 524: Uniform Probate Code 

Mississippi 

• Title 91: Trusts and Estates 

Missouri 

• Title XXXI, Chapters 456-475: Trusts and Estates of Decedents and Persons Under Disability 

Montana 

• Title 72: Estates, Trusts, and Fiduciary Relationships 

Nebraska 

• Chapter 30: Decedents’ Estates; Protection of Persons and Property 

Nevada 

• Title 12: Wills and Estates of Deceased Persons 

New Hampshire 

• Title LVI: Probate Courts and Decedents’ Estates

New Jersey 

• Title 3A: Administration of Estates—Decedents and Others 
• Title 3B: Administration of Estates—Decedents and Others 

New Mexico 

• Chapter 45: Uniform Probate Code 

New York 

• New York Court Probate Forms 
• General overview of NY Probate 

North Carolina 

• Chapter 47: Probate and Registration 

North Dakota 

• Title 30.1: Uniform Probate Code 

Ohio 

• Title 21: Courts—Probate—Juvenile 

Oklahoma 

• Title 58: Probate Procedure 
• Title 60: Property 
• Title 84: Wills and Succession 

Oregon 

• Title 12, Chapters 111-118 

Pennsylvania 

• Title 20: Decedents, Estates and Fiduciaries 

Rhode Island 

• Title 33: Probate Practice and Procedure 

South Carolina 

• Title 62: Probate Code 

South Dakota 

• Title 29A: Uniform Probate Code 

Tennessee 

• Title 32, Chapter 2 

Texas 

• Texas Probate Estates Code 

Utah 

• Title 75: Uniform Probate Code 

Vermont 

• Title 14, Chapter 3: Probate and Procedure for Construction of Wills 

Virginia 

• Title 64.2: Wills, Trusts, and Fiduciaries 

Washington 

• Title 11: Probate and Trust Law 

Washington, D.C. 

• Certificate of Filing Will (pdf) 
• Large Decedents' Estates (ADM) 
• Small Decedents' Estates (SEB) 
[Source: Probate Division, District Of Columbia Courts]