My father recently died. He and my mother jointly owned 2 farms. Does this land need to be probated? If so why?

Question

My father recently died. He and my mother jointly owned 2 farms. Does this land need to be probated? If so why?

Answer

The short answer is because it's the law. All estates in Iowa go through the probate court. If there's a will it makes things a lot easier but if there isn't, having court supervision keeps people honest.