(a) In any county where the judge of probate is required to be learned in the law, the administration of any estate may be removed from the probate court to the circuit court pursuant to Section 12-11-41 at any time before a proceeding for final settlement thereof is commenced in probate court by any heir, devisee, legatee, distributee, executor, administrator, or administrator with the will annexed of the estate, without assigning any special equity. The circuit court shall remand the administration of an estate transferred pursuant to this section to the probate court if the circuit court finds that the removal was sought for the purpose of improper delay or did not comply with applicable law. The circuit court may remand the administration of an estate pursuant to this section to the probate court if the circuit court finds that any of the following apply:
(1) The circuit court has issued a final order or judgment on all contested matters pending before the circuit court in the administration of the estate and the time for an appeal of the order or judgment has expired without an appeal being filed or, if an appeal was filed, after the final adjudication of the appeal.
(2) All interested parties or their representatives request the estate administration be remanded to probate court.
(b) Nothing in subsection (a) shall prevent the administration of an estate from being removed again to the circuit court pursuant to Section 12-11-41 after the administration has been remanded to the probate court as provided above.
Last modified: May 3, 2021