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 Pocahontas, Arkansas, the process of estate administration typically follows the procedures and instructions laid out in the will.

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

The executor is typically 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 will in Pocahontas, Arkansas is silent as to who should be the executor, it is up to the court to determine who should serve in that capacity.

Typically, the person chosen to be executor is the one who would benefit most under the will, or under Arkansas's intestacy laws. "Intestacy" refers to a situation in which a person dies without a will, or "dies intestate." Every state has laws to address this situation, and there isn't a lot of variation from state to state. Typically, the decedent's property will go to his or her closest relative, and if absolutely no living relatives can be found, it will go to the state.

When a will is silent as to who should be the executor, any individual who has some direct interest in the result can ask to be named executor by the Pocahontas, Arkansas court.

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 Pocahontas, Arkansas Estate Administration Attorney Help?

If you are the executor of an estate, and don't know how to handle some of the legal and financial difficulties that may arise, an efficient Pocahontas, Arkansas lawyer can make this process a great deal easier.