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(This page's most recent update is November 2025)
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Probate research often begins and ends with a will—but the richest genealogical evidence is found in the probate packet, the full collection of documents created when a court settled an estate. These packets contain dozens of papers that reveal relationships, debts, residences, occupations, land boundaries, social networks, guardianships, inventories, and disputes that never appear in the will itself. This Quicksheet highlights the most valuable items found in probate packets and shows how each can help solve genealogical problems, confirm identities, and uncover new family members.
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For all the previously published Quick Reference Guides, click on QuickSheets.
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