Practice Areas

Historically probate was the process of proving a will is valid and administering the estate of a decedent (deceased person) in accordance with the terms of the will. Today, probate is used as a general term for the entire process of the administration of the estate of the deceased person, including those estates without wills, with court supervision. Many people commonly place their assets in to trusts or joint tenancy (rights of survivorship) prior to their death in order to avoid the probate process.

There are many reasons for trying to avoid probate, including but not limited to court supervision of the distribution of the assets and payment of creditors of the estate, expensive fees set by statute, paperwork, and delays in the distribution of the estate. Simply put, probate is the process of passing the assets (and their title) of a deceased person to his or her heirs after the payment of creditors. Weatherford Thompson represents beneficiaries and personal representatives in all matters of probate and probate litigation in Oregon Courts.