Most people do not know what Probate means. If a person dies with assets held solely in his or her name (without a beneficiary or payable on death designation), no one can access these assets, without a court order. This process of changing the title out of the deceased person's name and distributing the assets to those entitled to receive them is called Probate. In Massachusetts, The first step involves filing a request (called a petition) with the court, including a death