Estate Administration in Knoxville, Tennessee

Find the right Estate Administration attorney in Knoxville, TN

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 decedent had the foresight to draft and execute a will in Knoxville, Tennessee, the estate is usually administered in a way that follows the instructions the will lays out, as closely as possible.

The decedent normally names in the will an executor of his or her estate. The executor is the person whose job it is to take the lead role in the administration of an estate.

The executor is normally whoever stands to obtain the most money or property if the will is given effect, since that is the person who likely has the most incentive to do their part in seeing that the probate process plays out to completion.

What if The Will Does Not Name an Executor?

If a will in Knoxville, Tennessee does not name a person to serve as executor, or the decedent dies without having written a will, the court will appoint a person to act as estate administrator.

This is most commonly the person who would inherit most under the will, or under the intestacy scheme of Tennessee. Intestacy is when a person dies without having made a will, or if a will turns out to be invalid. The intestacy laws of each state govern how property is distributed in such a situation. In most states, it simply goes to the closest living relative.

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 Knoxville, Tennessee court.

Whoever ends up as the executor, it is their responsibility to serve as the personal representative of the estate. They will be responsible for taking account of all of the decedent's assets and debts, as well as notifying beneficiaries who may be estranged from the decedent, among other things.

Can a Knoxville, Tennessee Estate Administration Attorney Help?

If you have unexpectedly been appointed to be the executor of a relative's estate, and don't know how to handle this process, you should speak with a brilliant Knoxville, Tennessee wills and trusts attorney.

Talk to a Wills, Trusts & Estates Law Attorney now!

Life in Knoxville

Knoxville is the seat of Knox County and 3rd largest municipality in the State of Tennessee. That means a number of courts like Knox County and Tennessee State Courts are located in Knoxville. Likewise, Knoxville is home to some of Tennessee's most outstanding lawyers. Knoxville lawyers are familiar with local and Federal cases like bankruptcy, divorce, immigration, and personal injury lawsuits. Aside from the legal business, Knoxville is home to some nationally known institutions that help attract people to the city. The University of Tennessee, the Department of Energy facility Oak Ridge National Labrotory, the National Transportation Research Center, the Tennessee Valley Authority, and a number of business' headquarters. Producers of Bonnaroo Music Festival AC Entertainment, the Pilot Corporation, Sea Ray, Brunswick Boat Group, and Scripps Networks Interactive (HGTV) are all headquartered in Knoxville. That could be why Forbes Magazine named Knoxville among the "top 10 metropolitan hotspots" and "top 5 business and career" cities in the United States. Knoxville events and attractions encourage a number of tourists to visit each year. Blender magazine named Knoxville the 20 most rock and roll cities in America. It plays host to the 17 day long Dogwood Arts Festival, Kuumba Festival, and Boomsday, the largest Labor Day fireworks display in the United States.

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