In Bristol, Connecticut, probate is the process through which a Court determines if a will is valid or not.
As part of this process, the Bristol, Connecticut probate court will determine the validity of the will, inventory the decedent's assets and debts, and then, finally, distribute the estate according to the will, assuming it is found to be valid.
Wills commonly name a person as the executor of the estate. If not, the court in Bristol, Connecticut will name one. This is most often the adult individual who stands to inherit the most money or property from the will.
Because the executor is responsible for really initiating probate proceedings and seeing them to completion, the person chosen for this role is often the one who stands to inherit the most from the will - giving them an incentive to put in the necessary time and effort.
Duties of the Executor in Bristol, Connecticut
Executors of estates have a many 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.
The executor also has to give those with a direct interest in the will notice that the decedent has died, by filing an official 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 hard to find, but they need to be found, nonetheless. To that end, the executor is obligated 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.
Finally, executors have to actually put forth the effort to show that a will is valid. As the sole legal representative of the estate, this is their job, and is required for them to inherit, giving them an incentive.
How Can A Bristol, Connecticut Lawyer Help?
Because of the intricacies inherent in the probate process, it is a good idea to hire an accomplished Bristol, Connecticut probate lawyer, particularly for the executors of estates.
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