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 Montville, Connecticut, the estate is typically administered in a way that follows the instructions the will lays out, as closely as possible.

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

The executor is usually whoever stands to acquire 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 Montville, Connecticut 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 often the person who would inherit most under the will, or under the intestacy scheme of Connecticut. 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 determine 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 individual who has some direct interest in the result can ask to be named executor by the Montville, Connecticut court.

Whoever ends up as the executor, it is their responsibility to serve as the personal representative of the estate. They will be accountable 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 Montville, Connecticut Estate Administration Attorney Help?

If you are the executor of an estate, and don't know how to handle some of the legal and financial complexities that may arise, an experienced Montville, Connecticut lawyer can make this process a great deal easier.