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

If the decedent wrote a will before his or her death in Somers, Connecticut, the process will be carried out according to the directives contained in the will, assuming they are valid and enforceable.

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 the person who stands to inherit the most money or property from the will, since this personn will have the greatest incentive to see the probate and administration process to completion.

What if The Will Does Not Name an Executor?

If a will in Somers, Connecticut is silent as to who should be the executor, it is up to the court to decide who should serve in that capacity.

This is most commonly 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 govern how property is distributed in such a situation. In most states, it simply goes to the closest living relative.

In cases where the will doesn't name an executor, or the person named is unable to take on that role for whatever reason, any person who has some direct stake in the decedent's estate (either because they're named in the will or stand to inherit by intestacy) can petition a Somers, Connecticut court to be appointed executor.

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 protect the estate's interests as they would their own.

Can a Somers, Connecticut 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 Somers, Connecticut wills and trusts attorney.