In Goose Creek, South Carolina, 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 Goose Creek, South Carolina probate court has various 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.

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

Because the executor is responsible for truly 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 Goose Creek, South Carolina

The executor has many duties regarding the will. First, they have to truly initiate the probate proceedings, which must be finalized before the will is effectuated.

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.

Executors are also obliged to make accessible an accounting of the testator's debts and assets, so their affairs can be wound up, along with a list of everybody who is named in the will, or otherwise stands to inherit.

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 Goose Creek, South Carolina Lawyer Help?

Because of the difficulties involved in probate, it would be a reliable idea to consult with and retain a Goose Creek, South Carolina attorney who specializes in probate, especially if you are the executor of an estate.