Estate administration is the process during which the estate of a person who has recently died is maintained and divided among his or her heirs or beneficiaries. This normally happens according to the instructions in a will, but in case there is no will, there are laws governing that situation, as well.

If the person who died made and executed a valid will in Johnston, Rhode Island, the process of estate administration normally follows the procedures and instructions laid out in the will.

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

The executor typically has at least some work cut out for them. This evidently raises the issue of compensation. The easiest way to ensure that the executor does his or her job is simply to appoint the person who has the most to gain from the will. That way, they cannot inherit until the process is finished.

What if The Will Does Not Name an Executor?

If a Johnston, Rhode Island will does not name an executor, or no will exists or can be found, it's up to the local court to decide who should be the executor.

Normally, this will be the person who has the most to receive from the will, or who would gain the most under Rhode Island's intestacy scheme (the system that distributes the decedent's property to his or her closest living relatives, if he or she dies without a will).

When a will is silent as to who should be the executor, any person who has some direct interest in the outcome can ask to be named executor by the Johnston, Rhode Island court.

Whoever is appointed to serve as executor, it is their job to act as the representative of the estate. Among other jobs, they have to account for the decedent's debts and assets, and inform any beneficiaries who might be unaware of the situation.

Can a Johnston, Rhode Island Estate Administration Attorney Help?

If you are the administrator of an estate, and are not a legal and/or financial professional, you might face legal or tax issues with which you are unfamiliar. A Johnston, Rhode Island attorney would be extremely helpful in such a situation.