Probate Completed, Where Are the Balloons?

For the past 12 to 18 months, possibly longer, you the Personal Representative in a Wisconsin probate have gathered papers, filed taxes, written checks, emptied the fridge, sold the car, distributed the family photographs, written more checks, and have your signature notarized more times than you can recall.  And now the day is here, the day you file the FINAL papers to close the estate.  The last bill to the lawyer is paid, you have free time in your calendar once again.  Things settle down into a new routine, the routine after the loss of a loved one, the routine after the work of the probate, and it feels like something is missing. You did it -- yet those filed court papers just slide off into an abyss.  Will you get a mailing from the court, some sort of official notice that you completed this marathon of a task?

If you are a Personal Representative in a Wisconsin probate the answer is simple, no.  There is no fan fare, no balloon drop, no confetti falling from the sky, not even a ribbon saying you crossed the finish line.  All there is is an entry in the CCAP system stating:

"Probate  -- Closed - File Retained Electronic"

That's it.  A one line entry closing out a challenging job completed during emotionally draining times.  Government has limited resources, and likely does not have the capacity to send out a form let alone a congratulations.  But I'll leave one here for you via You Tube -- enjoy, and pat yourself on the back for a job well done.