probate court
A probate court is a court of limited jurisdiction that hears matters surrounding a person's death. For example, probate courts oversee the distribution of dead peoples' assets according to their wills and direct the distribution of dead peoples' assets if they die without a will .
Some probate courts also hear petitions to declare people incompetent and oversee guardians or conservators. Other jurisdictions leave these matters to family courts .
Probate courts are governed by state and local law . Some jurisdictions have surrogate courts instead of probate courts.
See Estate Planning ; Estates and Trusts ; State probate laws .
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