A court-supervised procedure for settling a deceased person's estate, paying valid debts and taxes, and transferring remaining property to the people or organizations entitled to receive it.

After a death, this process can feel slow and formal at a time when a family is already dealing with grief. In practice, the court may confirm a will, appoint an executor or administrator, require an inventory of assets, notify creditors, and oversee distributions to beneficiaries or heirs. Some property passes outside probate - such as certain jointly owned assets or accounts with named beneficiaries - but property titled only in the deceased person's name often must go through probate before anyone can legally collect or transfer it.

For an injury-related claim, the probate court process can directly affect who has authority to act. If someone dies after a crash, the estate may need a court-appointed personal representative before a wrongful death claim or survival-related claim can move forward properly. In Mississippi, probate matters are generally handled in chancery court, and timing matters. Mississippi's general probate deadline for creditors is tied to publication of notice, and wrongful death cases are usually governed by the Mississippi wrongful death statute, Miss. Code Ann. § 11-7-13, along with the state's general three-year limitations period under Miss. Code Ann. § 15-1-49 (2024). Missing a probate step can delay a settlement, create disputes over authority, or put estate assets at risk.