Estate administration, in basic terms, is the procedure of maintenance and distribution of a person's assets after they die.

If the person who died made and executed a valid will in Monticello, Arkansas, the process of estate administration usually follows the procedures and instructions laid out in the will.

Most commonly, a will names a person to serve as executor, whose job it is to guarantee that the estate is properly administered.

The executor is usually the person who stands to inherit the most money or property from the will, since this individualn will have the greatest incentive to see the probate and administration process to completion.

What if The Will Does Not Name an Executor?

If a Monticello, Arkansas will does not assign anyone to serve as executor, or there is no will, the court has to choose someone to fill that role.

This is most often the person who stands to gain the most from the will, or who would inherit the most under Arkansas's intestacy laws. Intestacy is the system that every state has in order to deal with the property of people who die without a will. It usually distributes the property to the closest living relatives of the decedent, assuming they can be located.

In cases where the will doesn't name an executor, or the person named is unable to take on that role for whatever reason, any person who has some direct share in the decedent's estate (either because they're named in the will or stand to inherit by intestacy) can petition a Monticello, Arkansas court to be assigned executor.

Whoever ends up as the executor, it is their responsibility to serve as the personal representative of the estate. They will be accountable for taking account of all of the decedent's assets and debts, as well as notifying beneficiaries who may be estranged from the decedent, among other things.

Can a Monticello, Arkansas Estate Administration Attorney Help?

Some people are surprised when they find out they've been named the executor of a relative's estate. The responsibilities can seem daunting, but with the help of a reputable Monticello, Arkansas attorney, the process almost always goes pretty smoothly.