Estate administration, in basic terms, is the procedure of maintenance and distribution of a person's assets after they die.

If the decedent had the foresight to draft and execute a will in Riverside County, California, the estate is normally administered in a way that follows the instructions the will lays out, as closely as possible.

Wills normally name an executor. The executor's role revolves around guaranteeing that the instructions in the will are implemented.

The executor is frequently the person who will get the most money or property out of the will if it is given effect, because this is the person who will have the greatest incentive to see that the probate process goes as rapidly as possible.

What if The Will Does Not Name an Executor?

If a will in Riverside County, California is silent as to who should be the executor, it is up to the court to determine who should serve in that capacity.

This is most frequently the person who would inherit most under the will, or under the intestacy scheme of California. 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 control how property is distributed in such a situation. In most states, it simply goes to the closest living relative.

If no executor is named in the will, anyone with a share in the will can apply to the court in Riverside County, California to be the executor of the estate, if they wish.

When the executor is chosen, they serve as a sort of incarnation of the decedent's estate - the estate's legal interests become the executor's interests, and the executor is expected to safeguard the estate's interests as they would their own.

Can a Riverside County, California 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 reliable Riverside County, California wills and trusts attorney.