Authority Comes Before Everything
Probate does not begin with decisions. It begins with authority.
Until the court formally appoints a Personal Representative and issues Letters, no one has legal power to act on behalf of the estate. Family agreement, urgency, or prior experience does not create authority.
Many people rely on advice from someone who “went through this years ago” or from websites that describe probate as if the process were static. It is not. Court expectations, documentation standards, and procedural sequencing change over time.
Authority exists only when the court recognizes it, and only within the scope the court allows at that moment.
This gap between emotional responsibility and legal authority is why probate often feels stalled at the beginning. Acting too early, even with good intentions, can create delays or personal exposure.
Understanding when authority actually begins is foundational. Everything else in probate depends on it, and that understanding should come from someone actively working within the current system.