PROBATE – means to prove. A WILL needs to be PROVED by a court after the person who executed (signed) it dies. It also refers to the court supervised process of administering a decedent’s estate. California has one of the most difficult, lengthy & expensive probate processes in the country. Estates are subject to Probate in California under this set of facts – the decedent had $166,250 or more of gross fair market value assets solely in their name on their date of death