Probate is the legal process used to settle certain parts of a person’s financial affairs after death. In Ohio, the probate court may authenticate a will, appoint an executor or administrator, supervise the payment of valid debts, and authorize the distribution of probate property to the people legally entitled to receive it. That sounds formal because it is. Still, probate is not automatically a lawsuit, and it is not always the expensive ordeal families fear. Many estates are routine. Some qualify for simplified procedures, while others require full administration because they include real estate, unresolved debts, family disagreements, or assets titled only in the deceased person’s name. Understanding which kind…