In Muscle Shoals, Alabama, probate is the process through which a Court determines if a will is valid or not.

In the probate process, a Muscle Shoals, Alabama probate court has various duties, including ruling on a will's validity, making an inventory of the estate's assets, and making note of all the decedent's debts. Once the will is determined to be valid, the court will distribute the property according to its terms.

Wills typically name the person who is to serve as executor of the estate. If no executor is named, the Muscle Shoals, Alabama court will appoint an executor. This is typically the person who stands to gain the most if the will is found to be valid.

The executor is the person who initiates probate proceedings. The person who stands to inherit the most from the will is typically appointed the executor, because they will have the most reason to help the process go as quickly as possible, so they can get their inheritance.

Duties of the Executor in Muscle Shoals, Alabama

Executors of estates have a various distinct responsibilities. First, the executor must start the probate proceedings. Probate almost always needs to be completed before the property in an estate can be released according to the terms of the will.

They additionally are required to provide notice to the people with a direct interest in the estate that the decedent has died, typically by filing a death certificate.

There may be many people who are entitled to take under a testator's will, with which the testator may have fallout out of touch years ago. This can make them challenging to find, but they need to be found, nonetheless. To that end, the executor is obliged to make a list of everyone who might be able to inherit, whether they're named in the will, or closely related to the testator. Additionally, they have to make known all of the decedent's major assets and debts.

Moreover, the executor is obliged to take a leading role in establishing the validity of the will. The executor obviously has an incentive to see the process through, since they cannot inherit until probate is complete.

How Can A Muscle Shoals, Alabama Lawyer Help?

Because of the difficulties inherent in the probate process, it is a good idea to hire an efficient Muscle Shoals, Alabama probate lawyer, particularly for the executors of estates.