Probate in New York refers to the process where the State of New York recognizes the executor or administrator as the estate’s official representative. When someone dies, ownership of all assets in that person’s name will now pass to someone else. The Probate process provides the rules and oversight of that process. For a New York estate, the initial step is to have the will recognized as valid by the Surrogate’s Court of the county where the deceased was a resident. For example, if the deceased was a resident of Long Island, New York, the will is filed with the Suffolk County Surrogate’s Court. If there is no will, then the process begins with the selection of the person who will serve as the Administrator of the estate. If the petition is approved for probate, then the paperwork is given to the executor or administrator authorizing them to represent the estate. Probate has begun.