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

If the decedent has made a will in Coal Valley, Illinois, the process will play out according to the instructions mentioned in the will.

Wills usually name an executor. The executor's role revolves around guaranteeing that the instructions in the will are implemented.

The executor typically has at least some work cut out for them. This evidently raises the issue of compensation. The easiest way to guarantee that the executor does his or her job is simply to appoint the person who has the most to gain from the will. That way, they cannot inherit until the process is done.

What if The Will Does Not Name an Executor?

If a will in Coal Valley, Illinois 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 usually the person who will benefit the most if the will is executed. If there is no will (a situation recognized as "intestacy"), Illinois has a system of laws distributing the decedent's property to his or her closest living relative. In such a case, the closest living relative has the most to gain from an orderly administration of the estate, so they will usually be appointed.

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 share in the decedent's estate (either because they're named in the will or stand to inherit by intestacy) can petition a Coal Valley, Illinois court to be assigned 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 safeguard the estate's interests as they would their own.

Can a Coal Valley, Illinois Estate Administration Attorney Help?

If you are the administrator of an estate, and are not a legal and/or financial professional, you might face legal or tax issues with which you are unfamiliar. A Coal Valley, Illinois attorney would be extremely helpful in such a situation.