GA SB608

Creates the "Summary Administration Act of 2026" establishing a simplified probate process for estates valued at $75,000 or less (excluding creditor-exempt property), or for any estate where more than two years have passed since the decedent's death

Any person with an interest in an eligible estate may file a verified petition for summary administration; non-joining beneficiaries must be served notice, and if a trust is a beneficiary, all trustees or all trust beneficiaries must sign or be notified

Petitioners filing within two years of death must file an affidavit documenting their search for creditors, serve known creditors, and make payment provisions; creditors not properly notified may recover attorney's fees if they prevail on claims

Unknown creditors' claims are barred if petitioners publish notice of the summary administration order within 20 days and creditors fail to file claims within three months; beneficiaries receiving estate property are personally liable for their pro rata share of valid creditor claims up to the value of property received

Effective date is July 1, 2026