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Administrative probate is for uncontested wills and is handled by the Register of Wills. Judicial probate is usually for contested wills and is handled by the Orphans' Court. The Orphans' Court is Maryland's probate court and presides over the administration of estates.

Property held as “payable on death” will pass to the designated beneficiaries. Assets that are held in a revocable or irrevocable trust will pass to the beneficiaries named under the trust instrument without going through probate (unless the trust terminates and provides the assets are to be distributed to the estate).

Protect your assets - update your estate plan today Luckily, there are solutions. First and foremost, there are a number of asset types that typically do not pass through probate. This includes life insurance policies, bank accounts, and investment or retirement accounts that require you to name a beneficiary.

In Maryland, you can make a living trust to avoid probate for virtually any asset you own—real estate, bank accounts, vehicles, and so on. You need to create a trust document (it's similar to a will), naming someone to take over as trustee after your death (called a "successor trustee").

In Maryland, two forms of joint ownership can avoid probate: Tenancy by the entirety (limited to married couples) and joint tenancy with the right of survivorship. In both cases, the surviving owner automatically inherits the deceased owner's share of the property, bypassing the need for probate.

In Maryland, when a person dies and they own any assets in their name, those assets would have to go through the probate process. The person who's named in the will as the personal representative would have to open an estate with the court.

Assets like joint bank accounts, life insurance policies, trusts, and retirement accounts are exempt from probate and will usually be passed on to the named beneficiary or beneficiaries upon an individual's death.

Are there simplified probate proceedings? Yes, if the probate assets are less than $30,000 in value ($50,000 if passing to a surviving spouse), the estate may qualify for statutory “small estate” proceedings which are often closed within two months.

Maryland Law requires that any one holding an original Will and/or Codicil(s) must file that document with the Register of Wills promptly after a decedent's death even if there are no assets.