You may need probate when:

– You are the Executor of an estate, and the deceased owned property in their name alone

– You are a Beneficiary of an estate, and the estate includes property in the deceased’s name alone

– You are a creditor of the estate

– You want to sell or transfer property in the deceased’s name.

Probate is not always necessary. If the deceased owned everything jointly with someone else or had a valid will named a beneficiary for their property, probate may not be required.