What Is Probate and How Does It Work in Illinois?

Added: 2026-06-03

[00:00:01]Hello. My name is Blinn Bates. I'm an attorney with Woods and Bates in Lincoln, Illinois. Question I get a lot is what is probate? Probate is a court supervised process of settling a decedent's estate after they passed away. So, what does that involve? It involves proving a will if there is one in existence. It would involve getting a representative of the estate appointed.

[00:00:25]That could be an executor or an administrator, paying debts, paying taxes, distributing assets. And this is a process that's typically required in Illinois if the assets of the estate exceed $100,000 and they're owned only in the name of the deceased. This is a process that can take several months if not years. It involves some court filings, costs, etc. But proper planning could avoid having to probate a will. And if that's something that you are interested in, we would be happy to talk to you about that. You can give us a call at 217 735-123-4.

[00:01:03]We look forward to talking with you.