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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>81738</law_id><section_number>64.2-444</section_number><catch_line>Clerks may probate wills</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>64.2-445</reference><reference>64.2-448</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="64.2">Wills, Trusts, and Fiduciaries</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="II">Wills and Decedents' Estates</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="4">Wills</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="5">Probate</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> The clerk of any <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span>, or any duly qualified deputy of such clerk, may admit <span class="dictionary">wills</span> to probate, appoint and qualify executors, administrators, and curators of decedents, and require and take from them the necessary <span class="dictionary">bonds</span>, in the same manner and with like effect as the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span>. <a id="paragraph-292808" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/64.2-444/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> The clerk shall keep an <span class="dictionary">order</span> book, in which shall be entered all <span class="dictionary">orders</span> made by him, or his deputy, in performance of his duties pursuant to subsection A, except probate <span class="dictionary">orders</span> that are recorded in the <span class="dictionary">will</span> book need not be entered in the <span class="dictionary">order</span> book. <a id="paragraph-292809" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/64.2-444/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> All <span class="dictionary">wills</span> heretofore admitted to probate by any duly qualified deputy clerk of any <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> are deemed to have been properly admitted to probate to the same extent as if the clerk had acted in the proceeding. <a id="paragraph-292810" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/64.2-444/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 64-73; 1968, c. 656, &#xA7; 64.1-77; 1973, c. 217; 2012, c. 614.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
