Estates

Estates

What to do when a loved one dies:

If your loved one dies with a will, you must file the will in the Probate Court in the county where the deceased was domiciled at the time of death. If your loved one was not domiciled in Georgia at the time of his death, you may file the deceased’s will in any Georgia County where he owned property.

Upon the death of the deceased, you are required by law to file the deceased’s will with the Probate Court; however, you are not required to probate a will. If an estate has no assets, there may be no need to probate a will. Wills that are filed not for probate are scanned and stamp-filed to be made a part of the official record. There is no fee for filing the will not for probate.

If your loved one died without a will, you may file to administer his/her estate in the Probate Court of the County where he/she was domiciled at the time of death. If your loved one was not domiciled in Georgia at the time of death, you may file to be appointed as the administrator of the estate in any Georgia County where the deceased owned property.

Videos for Estates

Forms –

 Annual Return/Final Return

 Estate Inventory Form

Determining Heirs: Heirs and beneficiaries may not be the same people. Heirs are determined by law at the time of your death and are the persons who would inherit from your estate if you died without a will. Beneficiaries are named in a will to receive your property.

Determination of Heirs worksheet