So far you have learned what a will is and many of the terms that apply to working with wills and probate. You should have an understanding of the key activities involved in the probate process. You should also have gained some insights into how relationships may or may not be reflected in a will. In this lesson you will learn more about the most common contents found in a probate packet in the probate court records facility.

You may be amazed at what is or isn’t in a probate packet. Some courts are very meticulous in their maintenance of the packets and their records, in which case you may find a vast amount of information to extend your genealogical research and understanding of your ancestor. Other courts are less thorough, and documents may have been misplaced, incorrectly filed, lost, stolen, or even destroyed. Different courts also organize their records differently and may use a unique indexing system. Two books in the Printed Materials of our Resources area that may be of help in learning how to research in courthouses and use their indexing systems are Courthouse Research for Family Historians and Courthouse Indexes Illustrated, both authored by expert Christine Rose.