In Golden, Colorado, probate is the process through which a Court decides if a will is valid or not.

As part of this procedure, the Golden, Colorado probate court will decide the validity of the will, inventory the decedent's assets and debts, and then, lastly, distribute the estate according to the will, assuming it is deemed to be valid.

Wills frequently name a person as the executor of the estate. If not, the court in Golden, Colorado will name one. This is most often the adult individual who stands to inherit the most funds or property from the will.

The executor is the person accountable for initiating the probate proceedings. The person who would inherit the most from the will is appointed, because they have the greatest incentive to move the process along as quickly as possible, so they can get their inheritance.

Duties of the Executor in Golden, Colorado

The executor has various duties with respect to the will. First, it is his or her job to actually initiate probate proceedings, which often must be finalized before the will is given effect.

Executors must also alert anyone with an interest in the will of the death of the decedent. Persons with an interest in the outcome of probate are those who are named in the will, or anyone who would likely inherit if the will is invalidated (close relatives, for the most part).

There may be various 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. Furthermore, they have to make known all of the decedent's major assets and debts.

Moreover, the executor is obligated to take the lead in establishing the validity of the will, effectively acting as the living embodiment of the decedent's estate. The executor is typically the person who will inherit the most once the will goes through probate, so they have a good reason to put in the work to do this.

How Can A Golden, Colorado Lawyer Help?

Because of the difficulties involved in probate, it would be smart to hire a reliable Golden, Colorado probate lawyer, especially if you are the executor of an estate and unsure how to proceed.