Which term describes the formal probate process after death, including admitting the will to probate and supervising estate administration?

• A. Nuncupative will
• B. Augmented estate
• C. Solemn probate
• D. Mortgage

Answer: (C)

The formal court-supervised probate process after death, including admitting the will to probate and overseeing estate administration, is described as solemn probate. This term signals the formal proceeding where a will is validated, a personal representative is appointed, and the estate is administered—assets inventoried, debts and taxes paid, and remaining assets distributed according to the will or state law. Solemn probate is the formal variant of probate, in contrast to informal probate which involves less court intervention. A nuncupative will is an oral will, not the probate process itself; a mortgage is a debt instrument; and an augmented estate refers to statutory additions used to satisfy certain claims, not the probate procedure.