To start the probate process, you must first file a petition with the court. The petition must be filed by the executor or administrator of the estate. The executor or administrator is the person named in the will to carry out the deceased’s instructions. If there is no will, the court will appoint an administrator. The petition must be filed in the probate court in the county where the deceased person lived. The petition must accompany a copy of the death certificate and the will, if there is one. The death certificate is proof that the person is deceased.