What Really Matters?

This is not some spirituality post.

When looking at any legal record, it’s always important to remember:

What is the true purpose of this record or the process that created this record?

The purpose of an estate settlement is to settle up the affairs of a deceased person, either according to the terms of their last will or according to the procedure set in state statute. It is not to leave a detailed record of all the heirs, exactly where they were living at the time of their death, exactly how they were related to the deceased, or even the exact date of death for the individual who died.

In some cases, because it was deemed necessary for the settlement or contemporary statute required it, those details are included. Other times they are not. The court was not concerned with leaving a record for 100 years later when the great-great-great-granddaughter of the person would be interested in what happened to these long dead people. The court was concerned with paying the bills and distributing the assets within the framework of the law.