Probate is the process of proving that the Will of a deceased person (testator) is in fact his or her Will and reflects his or her wishes.The purpose of probate is to prove the validity of the Will, have the executor appointed and administer the estate.

A Will may not be probated unless the Surrogate’s Court is satisfied as to its genuineness and the validity of its execution (signing).A Will must be probated to be valid. It is not operative until it is admitted to probate by the Surrogate’s Court.

Admission of the Will to probate requires establishing, upon due notice to all required persons, that:

It is the Will of the decedent;
That it has been signed and witnessed and otherwise executed as required by law;
That at the time of its execution the decedent was of sound mind;
That it, indeed, was the last will and testament of the decedent.

The execution of a subsequent Will revokes an earlier Will.When the court is satisfied that the above conditions have been established, the Will is admitted to probate and is effective for all purposes, including the transfer of the title to real property.

Until such admission to probate, the Will has no force and effect and the named executor has no authority.