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Today's Terms
Probate
Definition:
The process through which the legal title to property is transferred from a decedent to the beneficiaries. If a person dies with a will (testate), the probate court determines if the will is valid, hears any objections to the will, orders that creditors be paid and supervises the process to assure that property is distributed by the Personal Representative or Executor according to the terms of the will. If a person dies without a will (intestate) the probate court appoints an Administrator who receives all claims, pays creditors, and then distributes all property according to the laws of the state.
Inheritance Tax
Definition:
A tax imposed by the state at the time of a person's death that is based upon the total value of the decedent's estate
Tenancy-in-Common
Definition:
A form of ownership of property in which two or more persons share ownership (may be equal or unequal shares). At the death of a tenant-in-common, his/her share in the property transfers to his/her heirs, rather than to the other surviving owner(s). Compare with Joint Tenancy.
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