Probate

With or without a will, probate court proceedings happen when a deceased person's assets can't be divided without help from the court. 

Probate will be needed if the person who died owned assets and no one has been named as the beneficiary. Assets can include things like life insurance, retirement accounts, bank accounts, or other types of money, as well as real estate or other things like cars, jewelry, etc. 

Probate court is typically regarded as the venue for resolving disputes between family members, heirs, and beneficiaries of an estate. It can include creditors and interested third parties. Guardianship of minors may also be included in the probate process.