Probate involves two separate processes. First, if a decedent left a will, probate includes the process by which a court determines the validity and enforceability of the will. Second, probate in all cases involves the process of appointing an executor or administrator for a decedent’s estate; the executor or administrator will then collect, value, and maintain the decedent’s assets, pay off his or her remaining debts and taxes, and distribute the remainder of the estate according to the decedent’s will or the state intestacy laws.