"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 Ingham County, 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 an Ingham County, Michigan will does not name an executor, or no will exists or can be found, it's up to the local court to decide who should be the executor.

This is most commonly the person who stands to gain the most from the will, or who would inherit the most under Michigan's intestacy laws. Intestacy is the system that every state has in order to deal with the property of people who die without a will. It normally distributes the property to the closest living relatives of the decedent, assuming they can be located.

If the will doesn't name anyone as executor, or the person who was named as executor is no longer living or cannot be found, anyone who has a direct interest in the will in Ingham County, Michigan can apply to the court to be the executor.

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 Ingham County, Michigan Estate Administration Attorney Help?

If you are the executor of an estate, and don't know how to handle some of the legal and financial intricacies that may arise, an accomplished Ingham County, Michigan lawyer can make this process a great deal easier.