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Probate records document the legal process of settling a deceased person’s estate. Two important research tools are probate packets and probate indexes. While indexes guide researchers to case files, the packets themselves often contain detailed personal and financial information.
Probate Packets
Probate packets (also called probate files or estate packets) contain the original documents filed during estate administration.
- Wills and codicils
- Letters testamentary or administration
- Estate inventories and appraisals
- Receipts from heirs
- Guardianship documentation for minor children
- Estate settlement accounts
Probate Indexes
Indexes provide an entry point to probate records.
- Alphabetical listing of estates
- Volume and page references
- Case numbers linking to probate packets
- Sometimes separate indexes for wills and administrations
Types of Probate Proceedings
Different types of cases may appear in probate indexes.
- Testate estates (with a will)
- Intestate estates (no will)
- Guardianship cases
- Estate administrations
- Probate disputes or will contests
Information Found in Probate Files
Probate packets can reveal family structure and financial standing.
- Names of heirs and relationships
- Residence of heirs living elsewhere
- Property owned by the deceased
- Debts owed or collected
- Distribution of estate assets
Research Considerations
- Index entries may include variant spellings
- Some counties maintained separate will books and probate case files
- Probate packets may be archived separately from court volumes
- Estate packets may include documents spanning many years
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