"Estate administration" refers to the process which must be followed when the estate of a person who has recently died is being distributed, either according to his or her wishes as laid out in a will, or the laws governing the distribution of the assets of a person who dies without a will.

If the decedent had the foresight to draft and execute a will in Williamsburg, Kentucky, the estate is typically administered in a way that follows the instructions the will lays out, as closely as possible.

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

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 a will in Williamsburg, Kentucky is silent as to who should be the executor, it is up to the court to decide who should serve in that capacity.

Usually, the person chosen to be executor is the one who would benefit most under the will, or under Kentucky's intestacy laws. "Intestacy" refers to a situation in which a person dies without a will, or "dies intestate." Every state has laws to address this situation, and there isn't a lot of variation from state to state. Usually, the decedent's property will go to his or her closest relative, and if absolutely no living relatives can be found, it will go to the state.

When a will is silent as to who should be the executor, any person who has some direct interest in the outcome can ask to be named executor by the Williamsburg, Kentucky 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 protect the estate's interests as they would their own.

Can a Williamsburg, Kentucky 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 experienced Williamsburg, Kentucky lawyer who can help you navigate this sometimes-convoluted process.