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 Woodstock, Connecticut, the process will be carried out according to the directives contained in the will, assuming they are valid and enforceable.

The decedent usually 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 usually 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 the will in Woodstock, Connecticut does not name an executor, or the decedent left no will to be found, the court has to appoint a person to serve as the administrator of the estate.

This is most often the person who stands to gain the most from the will, or who would inherit the most under Connecticut's intestacy laws. Intestacy is the system that every state has in order to deal with the property of people who die without a will. It usually distributes the property to the closest living relatives of the decedent, assuming they can be located.

If no executor is named in the will, anyone with a stake in the will can apply to the court in Woodstock, Connecticut to be the executor of the estate, if they wish.

Whoever is appointed to serve as executor, it is their job to act as the representative of the estate. Among other jobs, they have to account for the decedent's debts and assets, and inform any beneficiaries who might be unaware of the situation.

Can a Woodstock, 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 Woodstock, Connecticut lawyer can make this process a great deal easier.