Our firm practices in probate and estate administration. Probate is the legal process by which a person's debts are paid and assets are distributed upon his or her death. Lawyers refer to the entity that owns the deceased's assets until those assets are distributed as an estate. Estate administration includes the probate process as well as non-probate transfers of the deceased's assets. Individual state laws direct the probate court how to distribute the deceased's estate. State laws and procedures vary greatly, so, it is important to consult a firm with expertise in this area or the law to ensure the deceased's assets are distributed correctly.