How do I probate a Will?
Question Details:
How do I probate a Will in Missouri? Will says personal representative can act "independently . . . without adjudication, bond, order, or direction of any court." Dad died last Saturday and I am his son and personal representative. I have his notarized, twice-witnessed will.
The first thing that you will need to do is to file the Will. You'll have to go to the probate court in the county where your father legally resided at he time of his death. Many states require that this be done within a certain time period (sometimes as short as 30 days) so you should not delay in this. Once at the court the court clerk can direct you as to how your next steps. If your father didn't have much by way of assets, be sure to inquire about any simplified procedure for small estate probate. These procedures are easier and cheaper than full probate.
Additionally, you can consult an attorney in the area for assistance. You can also Google for information as well.
Here are 2 sites that I found that will give an overview of some of the basics:
Best of luck.
The prior answer is correct in Missouri, but note the following. You must file the Will in the Probate Court of the county where he resided. You may choose to open a Probate estate if there are assets in his sole name that need to be probated. The court clerk is unlikely to help you, you should consult an attorney familiar with probate proceedings to get the details. I am not sure if you are permitted to handle the probate proceedings without an attorney.
