probate

Definition

The legal bureaucratic nightmare that unfolds after someone dies, where courts verify that a will is legitimate and oversee the distribution of assets. It's essentially a government-mandated waiting period where lawyers get paid to shuffle papers while heirs anxiously check their bank accounts. Think of it as the final boss level of estate planning.

Example Usage

My uncle's estate has been stuck in probate for two years because nobody can find the original will he supposedly hid 'somewhere safe.'

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