Probate is the court process that transfers a person’s property after death, pays their final debts, and puts someone officially in charge (the executor if there is a Will, or an administrator if there is not). In an uncontested estate where the family is in agreement, probate in Alabama is mostly paperwork and patience: the Will is admitted, notice is published for creditors, and after the waiting period the property is distributed. Our flat fee covers guiding your family through every step of that process.

Not every estate needs full probate. Alabama has a small estate process called summary distribution for estates with no real estate and personal property under a dollar limit set by law each year. It is faster and less expensive than a full administration. The asset questions in this form are what let us tell you which path your family qualifies for, so you do not have to figure that out yourself.

Some property never goes through probate at all. Life insurance and retirement accounts with named beneficiaries, joint bank accounts, and real estate owned with right of survivorship all pass directly to the survivor or beneficiary. Identifying these assets early saves families time and often changes which type of probate filing makes sense.

Two timing points worth knowing: a Will generally must be offered for probate within five years of death, and creditors have a set window to bring claims after notice is published. The sooner the process starts, the sooner it ends. If you are unsure whether an estate even needs to be opened, send us this form anyway and we will tell you honestly if your family can skip probate altogether.