Why Do Wills Have to Be Probated in Georgia?

Probate is a process a lot of people dislike, but it is very important to protect heirs and creditors against fraud. Probate is a word derived from Latin, meaning to "probe" or "prove" A will is called a last will and testament because it's your last will. You could make multiple wills during your life, but only the last one counts. Probate protects your heirs against someone using an illegitimate will to wrongfully take from an estate After you're dead, you can't tell anyone whether a certain piece of paper was your legitimate will Therefore there has to be a way to verify it. This is why wills have very particular rules about how they are executed and witnessed, moreso than most contracts. If all of the t's are not crossed and I's dotted, a will can easily be defeated. This is why it is so important that a decent wills lawyer handle preparation and the signing of your will. You don't know what you don't know. Also, your heirs must be served. They are the ones that stand to lose if a unlawful or fraudulent will was accepted. Ultimately, probate is also a process that gives your creditors one last chance to collect debts allegedly owed by the deceased person. This is not everything there is to say, but hopefully it helps you understand why wills have to be probated. If you are in Georgia and need guidance in probating an estate, please give us a call. Also, if you want to learn about how you can set up your estate in a way that avoids probate, that is something I'd also be happy to work with you on. Give us a call or text us, and we'll see what we can do to get started.