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

If the decedent wrote a will before his or her death in Niceville, Florida, the process will be carried out according to the directives included in the will, assuming they are legitimate and enforceable.

Normally, wills assign an executor who is responsible for overseeing the administration of the estate, and seeing that its provisions are carried out, to the extent possible.

The executor is commonly 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 Niceville, Florida does not name a person to serve as executor, or the decedent dies without having written a will, the court will assign a person to act as estate administrator.

This is most commonly the person who stands to gain the most from the will, or who would inherit the most under Florida'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 normally distributes the property to the closest living relatives of the decedent, assuming they can be located.

If the will doesn't name anyone as executor, or the individual who was named as executor is no longer living or cannot be found, anyone who has a direct interest in the will in Niceville, Florida can apply to the court to be the executor.

Whoever is assigned 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 Niceville, Florida 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 intricacies that may arise, an accomplished Niceville, Florida lawyer can make this process a great deal easier.