Jurisdiction is the power of a legal body (a court) to hear and make a judgment or ruling on a case. The Nevada Probate Courts are only able to hear and adjudicate probate cases that come within its jurisdiction. The Nevada Probate Court’s jurisdiction is outlined in NRS 136.010:
- Wills may be proved and letters granted in the county where the decedent was a resident at the time of death, whether death occurred in that county or elsewhere, and the district court of that county has exclusive jurisdiction of the settlement of such estates, whether the estate is in one or more counties.
- The estate of a nonresident decedent may be settled by the district court of any county in which any part of the estate is located. The district court to which the application is first made has exclusive jurisdiction of the settlement of estates of nonresidents.
In other words, the Nevada Probate Court may hear and make rulings on cases where (1) the Decedent was a resident of Nevada at the date of death or (2) the Decedent was a non-resident but owns property located within the State of Nevada.
Three simple examples illustrate the Nevada Probate Court’s jurisdiction:
- Decedent A was a resident of Colorado and owned a vacation home in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Nevada Probate Court has jurisdiction over Decedent A’s probate because the Decedent owned real property in Nevada.
- Decedent B is a resident of Nevada at the date of Death. The Nevada Probate Court has jurisdiction over Decedent B’s probate because Decedent B was a Nevada resident.
- Decedent C is a resident of Texas and has no assets in the state of Nevada. However, Decedent C’s children are Nevada residents. The Nevada Probate Court does not have jurisdiction over Decedent C’s probate because Decedent C was not a Nevada resident and did not own any property in the state of Nevada.
Should you have any questions regarding the Nevada Probate Court’s jurisdiction, feel free to contact our office.
Attorney – Corey J. Schmutz
