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<section article="get" article_name="Estates and Trusts" number="5-206" title_number="5" title_name="Opening the Estate" subtitle_number="2" subtitle_name="Commencement of Proceeding">
  <text>In a proceeding for administrative or judicial probate the petition for probate shall be in substantially the following form:</text>
  <text>In the Orphans’ Court for</text>
  <level label="or">
    <text>___________________________, Maryland</text>
    <text>Before the Register of Wills for</text>
    <text>in the Estate of:</text>
    <text>______________________________________     Estate No. ___________________________</text>
    <text>For:</text>
    <text>Regular Estate –        Small Estate –            Will of No Estate –</text>
    <text>Petition      for      probate    Petition              for        Complete Items 2 and 5</text>
    <text>estate value in excess of    Administration,      estate</text>
    <text>$20,000. Complete   and    value of $20,000 or    less.</text>
    <text>attach Schedule – A.        Complete     and     attach</text>
    <text>Schedule – B.</text>
    <text>The Petition of:</text>
    <text>_____________________________________      ______________________________________</text>
    <text>Name                                                                     Address</text>
    <text>______________________________________</text>
    <text>_____________________________________      ______________________________________</text>
    <text>Name                                                                     Address</text>
    <text>______________________________________</text>
    <text>_____________________________________      ______________________________________</text>
    <text>Name                                                                     Address</text>
    <text>______________________________________</text>
    <text>Each of us states:</text>
  </level>
  <level label="1">
    <text>I am  (a)  at  least  18  years  of  age and either a citizen of the United States or a</text>
    <text>permanent resident alien spouse of the decedent or (b) a trust company or any</text>
    <text>other corporation authorized by law to act as a personal representative.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="2">
    <text>The decedent, ____________________________________________________________ ,</text>
    <text>was domiciled in __________________________________________  County, State of </text>
    <text>______________________________________ and  died  on  the  ___________  day  of </text>
    <text>20______, at ___________________.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="3">
    <text>If the decedent was not domiciled in this county at the time of death, this is the</text>
    <text>proper office in which to file this petition because:_____________________________</text>
    <text>__________________________________________________________________________ </text>
  </level>
  <level label="4">
    <text>I am entitled to priority of appointment as personal representative of the</text>
    <text>decedent’s estate pursuant to § 5–104 of the Estates and Trusts Article,</text>
    <text>Annotated Code of Maryland because:</text>
    <text>__________________________________________________________________________</text>
    <text>__________________________________________________________________________</text>
    <text>and I am not excluded by § 5–105(c) of the Estates and Trist Article, Annotated</text>
    <text>Code of Maryland from serving as personal representative</text>
  </level>
  <level label="5">
    <text>I have made a diligent search for the decedent’s will and to the best of my</text>
    <text>knowledge:</text>
    <text>none exists; or</text>
    <text>the will dated __________________________ (including codicils, if any,           dated</text>
    <text>_______________________ ) accompanying this petition is the last will and it came</text>
    <text>into my hands in the following manner:</text>
    <text>__________________________________________________________________________</text>
    <text>__________________________________________________________________________</text>
    <text>and the names and last known addresses of the witnesses are:</text>
    <text>_____________________________________________________   ____________________</text>
    <text>_____________________________________________________   ____________________</text>
    <text>_____________________________________________________   ____________________</text>
  </level>
  <level label="6">
    <text>Other proceedings, if any, regarding the decedent or the estate are as follows:</text>
    <text>__________________________________________________________________________</text>
    <text>__________________________________________________________________________</text>
  </level>
  <level label="7">
    <text>If any information required by paragraphs 2 through 6 has not been furnished,</text>
    <text>the reason is:</text>
    <text>__________________________________________________________________________</text>
    <text>__________________________________________________________________________</text>
  </level>
  <level label="8">
    <text>If appointed, I accept the duties of the office of personal representative and</text>
    <text>consent to personal jurisdiction in any action brought in this State against me as</text>
    <text>personal representative or arising out of the duties of the office of personal</text>
    <text>representative.</text>
    <text>WHEREFORE, I request appointment as personal representative of the</text>
    <text>decedent’s estate and the following relief as indicated:</text>
    <text>?    that the will and codicils, if any, be admitted to administrative probate;</text>
    <text>?    that the will and codicils, if any, be admitted to judicial probate;</text>
    <text>?    that the will and codicils, if any, be filed only;</text>
    <text>?    that the following additional relief be granted: ________________________________</text>
    <text>__________________________________________________________________________</text>
    <text>__________________________________________________________________________</text>
    <text>I solemnly affirm under the penalties of perjury that the contents of the</text>
    <text>foregoing petition are true to the best of my knowledge, information, and belief.</text>
    <text>______________________________________     _____________________________________</text>
    <text>Attorney’s Signature                         Petitioner      Date</text>
    <text>______________________________________     _____________________________________</text>
    <text>Address                                      Petitioner      Date</text>
    <text>______________________________________     _____________________________________</text>
    <text>Petitioner      Date</text>
    <text>______________________________________     _____________________________________</text>
    <text>Telephone Number                          Telephone Number</text>
    <text>In the Orphans’ Court for</text>
    <level label="or">
      <text>__________________________ , Maryland</text>
      <text>Before the Register of Wills for</text>
      <text>in the Estate of:</text>
      <text>_______________________________________    Estate No. __________________________</text>
      <text>Schedule – A</text>
      <text>REGULAR ESTATE</text>
      <text>Estimated Value of Estate and Unsecured Debts:</text>
      <text>Personal property (approximate value) ………………………………     $ _____________</text>
      <text>Real property (approximate value) ……………………………………     $ _____________</text>
      <text>Value of Property subject to:</text>
    </level>
    <level label="a">
      <text>Direct Inheritance Tax of __________% …………………     $ _____________</text>
    </level>
    <level label="b">
      <text>Collateral Inheritance Tax of __________% ……………      $ _____________</text>
    </level>
    <level label="c">
      <text>Collateral Inheritance Tax of __________% ……………       $ _____________</text>
      <text>Unsecured Debts (approximate amount) ……………………………       $ _____________</text>
      <text>………………………………………………………………………………………………………</text>
      <text>(FOR REGISTER’S USE)</text>
      <text>Safekeeping Wills _____________________      Custody of Wills ____________________</text>
      <text>Bond Set $  ___________________________      Deputy _____________________________</text>
      <text>In the Orphans’ Court for</text>
      <level label="or">
        <text>__________________________ , Maryland</text>
        <text>Before the Register of Wills for</text>
        <text>in the Estate of:</text>
        <text>_______________________________________    Estate No. __________________________</text>
        <text>Schedule – B</text>
        <text>SMALL ESTATE</text>
        <text>Assets and Debts of the Decedent:</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="1">
    <text>I have made a diligent search to discover all property and debts of the decedent</text>
    <text>and set forth below are:</text>
  </level>
  <level label="a">
    <text>A listing of all real and personal property owned by the decedent, individually</text>
    <text>or as a tenant in common, and of any other property to which the decedent</text>
    <text>or estate would be entitled, including descriptions, values, and how the</text>
    <text>values were determined:</text>
    <text>______________________________________________________________________________</text>
    <text>______________________________________________________________________________</text>
    <text>______________________________________________________________________________</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>A listing of all creditors and claimants and the amounts claimed, including</text>
    <text>secured*, contingent and disputed claims:</text>
    <text>______________________________________________________________________________</text>
    <text>______________________________________________________________________________</text>
    <text>______________________________________________________________________________</text>
  </level>
  <level label="2">
    <text>Allowable funeral expenses are $ ____________; statutory family allowances are</text>
    <text>$ ____________; and expenses of administration are $ _____________.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="3">
    <text>Attached is a List of Interested Persons</text>
    <text>*Note: § 5–601(d) of the Estates and Trusts Article. Annotated Code of Maryland “For</text>
    <text>the purpose of thus subtitle – Value is determined by fair market value of property</text>
    <text>less debts of record secured by the property as of the date of death, to the extent that</text>
    <text>insurance benefits are not payable to the lien holder or secured party for the secured</text>
    <text>debt.”</text>
    <text>I solemnly affirm under the penalties of perjury that the contents of the</text>
    <text>foregoing schedule are true to the best of my knowledge, information, and belief.</text>
    <text>______________________________________     _____________________________________</text>
    <text>Attorney’s Signature                         Petitioner      Date</text>
    <text>______________________________________     _____________________________________</text>
    <text>Address                                      Petitioner      Date</text>
    <text>______________________________________     _____________________________________</text>
    <text>Telephone Number                          Telephone Number</text>
  </level>
</section>
