Upon death, the assets in your estate must be distributed to the beneficiaries. The form which this distribution takes depends upon the existence or non-existence of a trust.

Trust Administration
If you die having established a trust to hold your assets during life, the trust can be used to distribute your assets upon death. This process, known as trust administration, is a relatively speedy process by which the successor trustee collects the assets of the trust and distributes them according to the terms set forth in the trust agreement. The process is completely private and between only the trustee and the beneficiaries.

Probate
If you die without a trust to hold your assets, those assets must be distributed to the beneficiaries through a process known as probate. Probate involves petitioning the court for permission to exercise control over your assets, and ultimately distribute those assets to the beneficiaries. This process is a public proceeding and generally takes longer to complete.