"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 has made a will in Garden City, Michigan, the process will play out according to the instructions mentioned in the will.

Commonly, the will appoints an executor whose job it is to oversee the administration of the will.

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 quickly as possible.

What if The Will Does Not Name an Executor?

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

Normally, this will be the person who has the most to receive from the will, or who would gain the most under Michigan's intestacy scheme (the system that distributes the decedent's property to his or her closest living relatives, if he or she dies without a will).

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 Garden City, Michigan court.

Whoever is appointed to serve as executor, it is their job to act as the representative of the estate. Among other jobs, they have to account for the decedent's debts and assets, and inform any beneficiaries who might be unaware of the situation.

Can a Garden City, Michigan 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 Garden City, Michigan attorney would be extremely helpful in such a situation.