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 Kingsland, Georgia, the process will be carried out according to the directives included in the will, assuming they are legitimate and enforceable.

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

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 Kingsland, Georgia 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 commonly the person who would inherit most under the will, or under the intestacy scheme of Georgia. 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.

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 Kingsland, Georgia court.

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 Kingsland, Georgia Estate Administration Attorney Help?

If you find yourself named in a will as executor of an estate, and aren't sure how to meet your responsibilities, or where to begin, it would be a good idea to consult with an accomplished Kingsland, Georgia lawyer who can help you navigate this sometimes-confusing process.