In Melrose Park, Illinois, probate is the process in which a court validates or voids a will.

During probate, the court in Melrose Park, Illinois will determine the validity of the will, distinguish and inventory the decedent's assets, account for the decedent's debts and back taxes, and distribute the decedent's property, among other things.

The executor of the estate is commonly named in the will. If not, the probate court in Melrose Park, Illinois will name will appoint a person to serve as executor. This is usually the person who stands to inherit the most under the will.

Because the executor is responsible for actually initiating probate proceedings and seeing them to completion, the person chosen for this role is often the one who stands to inherit the most from the will - giving them an incentive to put in the necessary time and effort.

Duties of the Executor in Melrose Park, Illinois

The executor has several duties concerning the will. First of all, they have to actually initiate the probate proceedings with the court, and this procedure has to be finished before the will takes effect.

The executor also has to give those with a direct interest in the will notice that the decedent has died, by filing an official death certificate.

Because people who stand to inherit from the testator may be scattered around the country, or even the world, contacting them is sometimes difficult. One of the responsibilities of the executor is to compile a list of everyone who is entitled to inherit from the decedent, so attempts to contact them can be made. They also have to account for all the testator's debts and assets.

Because the executor serves as the living symbol of the decedent's estate, they are solely responsible for proving the validity of the will. This is a lot of work, but because executors are usually chosen based on how much they stand to inherit from a will once its validity is confirmed, they have a good incentive to see the process to completion.

How Can A Melrose Park, Illinois Lawyer Help?

Because this process can be fairly complicated, it is not a bad idea to consult with a good probate lawyer in Melrose Park, Illinois, especially if you find yourself as the executor of an estate and don't know how to proceed.