Probate is the initiation of a legal process to settle a decedent’s estate. There are different types of probate proceedings depending on many factors, such as whether there is a will, whether an administration is necessary, whether there are debts in the estate, etc. This process may include the appointment of a personal representative (called an Executor or Administrator), whose job it is to administer the estate and ultimately distribute the property to the heirs or beneficiaries.