“probate code”

body of laws on wills and estates that was developed by a national commission on uniform state laws and subsequently adopted in whole or in part by about one third of the states. The code provides that some of the formalities of court supervision can be eliminated by selecting one of several procedures suited for inheritance cases of varying degrees of complexity: simple and inexpensive procedures for simple cases, and administration supervised by the court and containing elaborate safeguards for estates that are insolvent or under dispute or that present other difficulties. The code covers elements such as the determination of a will, the functions of an executor, and the process of administering a decedent's estate.