The Massachusetts General Probate Petition is a legal document used in Massachusetts to open an estate and appoint an executor or administrator. This petition must be filed with the court in the county in which the decedent lived at the time of their death and is used to initiate the probate process. There are two types of Massachusetts General Probate Petition: the executor petition and the administrator petition. The executor petition is used when the decedent left a will and named an executor in it. The administrator petition is used when there is no will or the will does not name an executor. Both types of petition ask for information about the decedent, their estate, and the proposed executor or administrator. The petition must be accompanied by the decedent's death certificate, a list of heirs, and a list of creditors. The court will review the petition and make a decision about whether to approve it.