1. Gather information and documents

To fill out the probate application form, you need information about the person who died, and the estate.

You must find and prepare a list of the estate's assets and debts. Then value the assets based on their fair market value on the day the person died. That's the amount a reasonable person would pay to buy the asset.

You may need an expert to value some assets, like real estate, art, or jewelry. Keep detailed records and documents of the estate assets and debts, such as:

• documents such as bank and mortgage statements showing the value of the assets and debts on the date the person died,
• expert appraisals of valuable assets