How to Use probate in a Sentence

probate

1 of 2 noun
  • The case will now go to probate.
  • Her will was offered for probate by the relatives.
  • Here are the best ways to avoid probate.
    — Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 15 May 2026
  • If probate was opened, make a claim with the court for any money still owed to you.
    — Gary Singer, Sun Sentinel, 22 Sep. 2022
  • That is but the first chapter in the story that is your mom’s probate.
    — Virginia Hammerle, Dallas News, 27 Aug. 2023
  • Had Harold died with a valid will, the probate would have been simple.
    — Dallas News, 17 Jan. 2021
  • Most assets that aren’t in the living trust go through probate.
    — Bob Carlson, Forbes, 27 May 2021
  • Trusts also avoid probate but allow for life changes.
    — Medora Lee, USA Today, 3 June 2026
  • These deeds would allow the house to avoid probate and come directly to you.
    — Liz Weston, oregonlive, 12 July 2020
  • If the estate has enough assets, the debt may be paid during probate.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 23 June 2026
  • Why probate scams work Grief is a beacon for fraudsters.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Some folks create trusts to avoid the probate process entirely.
    — Paco De Leon, refinery29.com, 23 Mar. 2022
  • There is no recovery against assets that do not go through your probate estate.
    — Dallas News, 5 July 2020
  • Some county probate judges are taking charge and pushing to recruit more of the youths.
    — al, 18 Sep. 2022
  • This saves time and money, since property inside a trust will not need to go through probate.
    — Ilyce Glink and Samuel Tamkin, Chicago Tribune, 27 July 2023
  • Living trusts are designed to avoid probate, the court process used to settle estates.
    — Liz Weston, oregonlive, 26 Mar. 2023
  • That would avoid the need for probate (even without a revocable trust).
    — Martin Shenkman, Forbes, 24 June 2022
  • But in many cases, the probate process is quick and inexpensive.
    — Dallas News, 25 Oct. 2020
  • Trust assets avoid probate and can provide a more precise way in which to transfer assets.
    — Jill Schlesinger, Mercury News, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Felons have never been allowed to serve as an executor of a probate estate.
    — Virginia Hammerle, Dallas News, 30 July 2023
  • Now your family will have to pay more for a more costly probate proceeding.
    — Wesley E. Wright, Houston Chronicle, 16 Jan. 2020
  • After the man died, the document that was in the envelope was filed for probate.
    — Dallas News, 18 Sep. 2022
  • The probate timeline is often much shorter.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 26 June 2026
  • The city is in touch with the family and probate attorney, but did not give a timeline for what is next.
    — Tori Apodaca, CBS News, 14 Dec. 2025
  • The probate estate remains liable for the decedent’s debts.
    — Virginia Hammerle, Dallas Morning News, 8 Mar. 2026
  • Around the same time, if the estate requires probate, that filing becomes public, too.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 June 2026
  • Also, nobody will then be able to get access to the money until your estate goes through probate.
    — Next Avenue, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2021
  • The family’s matriarch had died and while her estate was in probate, a tree toppled on her home.
    — Shelia Poole, ajc, 19 Nov. 2021
  • State law may also affect how certain assets (such as a home) can be handled during probate.
    — Nancy Ashburn, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Property in the trust avoids probate, and the terms of the trust determine what is done with the property.
    — Bob Carlson, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2021

probate

2 of 2 verb
  • The court will probate the will.
  • After all that, my lawyer filed an application with the court to probate your will.
    — Dallas News, 4 Sep. 2022
  • Ryan Hill, 30, was sentenced to four years in prison probated for four years.
    — Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 5 Apr. 2023
  • Other cases Casey last week was sentenced to two years in jail that was probated over five years.
    — Anna M. Tinsley, star-telegram, 1 May 2018
  • The locality that will probate the estate is likely unique as well.
    — Randy Warren, Forbes, 8 Apr. 2021
  • Your original attorney does not have first dibs to probate your will or to handle the appeal of your case.
    — Dallas News, 24 May 2020
  • However, having a will still subjects many assets to probate.
    — Cicely Jones, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024
  • To not probate the estate and not pay the taxes shouldn’t be a reason for special dispensation.
    — Lizzie Presser, ProPublica, 15 July 2019
  • When a spouse passes away and the spouses owned their home with right of survivorship, should the surviving spouse go to probate to sell the house?
    — Gary Singer, Sun Sentinel, 5 May 2022
  • When the estate went to probate, Briscoe demanded money to release his claim on the property.
    — Propublica, Dallas News, 18 May 2023
  • Attorneys note that probating an estate without a will is generally slower than when a valid will exists.
    — Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Dec. 2025
  • Benny Roshan is chair of Greenberg Glusker’s trusts and probate litigation group.
    — Benny Roshan, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Jan. 2023
  • In 1970, after a three-year court fight, a Dallas court admitted Otis’ will to probate.
    — Dallas News, 17 Apr. 2022
  • Her lawyers asked the judge to move the case to probate and appoint an independent person to oversee handing out Reinhart’s assets.
    — Anna Wilder and Elisabell Velazquez, orlandosentinel.com, 4 Sep. 2021
  • Zimring, a lawyer, and her husband, an electrical contractor, were open to homes that needed remodeling, homes sold in trust or probate sales.
    — Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2022
  • Getting letters testamentary requires going to court to probate your mother's will.
    — Ronald Lipman, Houston Chronicle, 24 Feb. 2026
  • However, this may require you to probate your grandmother’s estate and cooperate with any other heirs.
    — Gary Singer, Sun Sentinel, 28 Nov. 2024
  • The embattled judge, who worked in Northeast Tarrant County, was sentenced to two years in jail that was probated over five years.
    — Anna M. Tinsley, star-telegram, 18 June 2018
  • Lindell is expected to return to Alabama to examine the equipment and talk to probate judges, Merrill said.
    — Leada Gore | [email protected], al, 21 Sep. 2021
  • In the past few years, probate judges on juvenile justice and child welfare dockets tasked with finding spots in residential treatment centers for these children have been hamstrung by the lack of open beds.
    — Christine MacDonald, Detroit Free Press, 20 Oct. 2022
  • After pleading guilty to the state jail felony charge in Judge Wayne Salvant's courtroom, Casey was sentenced to two years in state jail but that sentence was probated over five years.
    — Anna M. Tinsley, star-telegram, 23 Apr. 2018
  • And if an eligible heir contests the will, probate can take years, Gregory Matalon, an estate attorney based in New York, told me.
    — Stephanie H. Murray, The Atlantic, 29 Sep. 2021
  • The nonprofit legal services organization has two full-time attorneys dedicated to probate.
    — Nushrat Rahman, Detroit Free Press, 26 Nov. 2022
  • During his opening remarks, Proto ripped into Democrats — saying Republicans are prepared to fight this year in every race from governor to probate judge.
    — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 6 May 2022
  • After the wills were discovered in May by Owens, attorneys for Franklin's four sons were unable to resolve the issue and headed to court to determine if the wills are admissible to probate.
    — Nicole Chavez, CNN, 18 June 2019
  • Meanwhile, another five states, including death-tax-free California and Florida, impose stiff fees to probate (that is, get court approval for) an estate and/or require a family to pay attorneys.
    — Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'probate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: