In Radnor, Pennsylvania, probate is a legal procedure that a court must go through before giving effect to a will. Before putting a will into effect, a court has to decide that it is legitimate.

In the probate process, a Radnor, Pennsylvania probate court has several 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 decided to be valid, the court will distribute the property according to its clauses.

The executor of the estate is commonly named in the will. If not, the probate court in Radnor, Pennsylvania will name will appoint a person to serve as executor. This is usually the person who stands to inherit the most under the will.

Because the executor is responsible for actually initiating probate proceedings and seeing them to finalization, 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 Radnor, Pennsylvania

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

The executor also has to provide those with a direct interest in the will notice that the decedent has deceased, by filing an official death certificate.

If the decedent was even slightly well-off financially, it's likely that they'll have significant amounts of both debts and assets. The executor is tasked with creating an accurate accounting of the debts and assets of the estate, so as much of the decedent's debts can be paid off as possible.

Lastly, executors have to actually put forth the effort to prove that a will is valid. As the sole legal representative of the estate, this is their job, and is obligated for them to inherit, giving them an incentive.

How Can A Radnor, Pennsylvania Lawyer Help?

Because this process can be fairly perplexing, it is not a bad idea to consult with a reputable probate lawyer in Radnor, Pennsylvania, especially if you find yourself as the executor of an estate and don't know how to proceed.