Probate Appraisal Group

FAQ

What items need to be probated?

What needs to be probated is any asset the decedent owned individually, without a beneficiary designation, joint survivorship rights, or trust ownership, and everything on that list must be inventoried and appraised for the court.

The core test is simple: if the decedent's name was the only name on the title or account, and no payable-on-death or transfer-on-death designation was in place, it belongs in the probate estate. Assets held in joint tenancy with right of survivorship, titled to a trust, or carrying a valid beneficiary designation typically pass outside probate and are not listed in the inventory.

Categories that typically require probate

  • Real property: a primary residence, vacation home, rental property, or land titled solely in the decedent's name, or held as tenants in common.
  • Bank and cash accounts: checking, savings, money market accounts, and CDs with no POD designation, along with cash found in the home.
  • Investment and brokerage accounts: individually held stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and savings bonds with no named beneficiary.
  • Vehicles and titled property: cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats, RVs, and trailers titled only to the decedent.
  • Personal property and household belongings: jewelry, artwork, antiques, furniture, collectibles, firearms, and similar tangible items owned by the decedent.
  • Business interests: sole proprietorships, partnership shares, and other privately held ownership stakes.

Once these items are identified, each one needs a supportable value for the court, especially personal property and household contents, which rarely come with a clear paper trail the way real estate or brokerage accounts do. Probate Appraisal Group prepares USPAP-compliant valuations of the personal property and household categories in this list, including jewelry, furniture, antiques, and collectibles, so the inventory holds up with the court and the IRS. For guidance on assigning values to specific household items, see our answer on how to value household goods for probate.