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Terms Used In Maryland Code, ESTATES AND TRUSTS 5-304

  • Decedent: A deceased person.
  • Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
  • Person: includes an individual, receiver, trustee, guardian, personal representative, fiduciary, representative of any kind, corporation, partnership, business trust, statutory trust, limited liability company, firm, association, or other nongovernmental entity. See
  • Probate: Proving a will
(a) (1) Unless a timely request for judicial probate has been filed pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, or unless a request has been filed pursuant to § 5-402 of this title within 6 months of administrative probate, any action taken after administrative probate shall be final and binding as to all interested persons.

(2) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, a defect in a petition or proceeding relating to administrative probate shall not affect the probate or the grant of letters.

(b) An administrative probate may be set aside and a proceeding for judicial probate instituted if, following a request by an interested person within 18 months of the death of decedent, the court finds that:

(1) The proponent of a later offered will, in spite of the exercise of reasonable diligence in efforts to locate any will, was actually unaware of the existence of a will at the time of the prior probate;

(2) The notice provided in § 2-210 of this article was not given to such interested person nor did the interested person have actual notice of the petition for probate; or

(3) There was fraud, material mistake, or substantial irregularity in the prior probate proceeding.