US Medical Term · financial
Probate
Sucesión
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Probate |
| Spanish (Español) | Sucesión |
| Chinese (中文) | 遗嘱认证程序 |
| Korean (한국어) | 검인 절차 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Thủ tục Chứng nhận Di chúc |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Probate |
| Portuguese (Português) | Inventário Judicial |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | กระบวนการพิสูจน์พินัยกรรม |
| Japanese (日本語) | 遺産検認手続き |
What it means
Probate is the court-supervised legal process for settling a deceased person's estate. It includes validating the will, inventorying assets, paying outstanding debts, and distributing what remains to heirs. Medicaid programs are required by federal law to seek repayment from the estates of deceased beneficiaries who received long-term care after age 55—a process called Medicaid estate recovery. If a family member died while receiving Medicaid, the state may file a claim against their estate during probate. An estate planning attorney can help structure assets to minimize potential recovery before it occurs.
How to say it
Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:
PROH-bayt
sucesión testamentaria
Also called 'estate administration' or 'settling an estate'
También llamado 'administración del patrimonio' o 'liquidación del patrimonio'
An attorney might say: 'The estate is currently in probate'
'El patrimonio está actualmente en proceso de sucesión'
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Sources
Last reviewed: September 2026