"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 Tallulah, Louisiana, the estate is usually administered in a way that follows the instructions the will lays out, as closely as possible.

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

The executor is normally whoever stands to obtain the most money or property if the will is given effect, since that is the person who likely has the most incentive to do their part in seeing that the probate process plays out to completion.

What if The Will Does Not Name an Executor?

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

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"), Louisiana has a system of laws distributing the decedent's property to his or her closest living relative. In such a situation, the closest living relative has the most to gain from an orderly administration of the estate, so they will usually be appointed.

If no executor is named in the will, anyone with a stake in the will can apply to the court in Tallulah, Louisiana to be the executor of the estate, if they wish.

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 Tallulah, Louisiana Estate Administration Attorney Help?

If you have unexpectedly been appointed to be the executor of a relative's estate, and don't know how to handle this process, you should speak with a brilliant Tallulah, Louisiana wills and trusts attorney.