"Estate administration" refers to the procedure 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 regulating the distribution of the assets of a person who dies without a will.

If the decedent has made a will in Forest Lake, Minnesota, the process will play out according to the instructions specified in the will.

Usually, wills assign an executor who is responsible for overseeing the administration of the estate, and seeing that its provisions are carried out, to the extent possible.

The executor is often 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 rapidly as possible.

What if The Will Does Not Name an Executor?

If a Forest Lake, Minnesota will does not name an executor, or no will exists or can be found, it's up to the local court to determine who should be the executor.

This is most often the person who stands to gain the most from the will, or who would inherit the most under Minnesota'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 usually distributes the property to the closest living relatives of the decedent, assuming they can be located.

When a will is silent as to who should be the executor, any individual who has some direct interest in the result can ask to be named executor by the Forest Lake, Minnesota court.

Once an executor is assigned (whether by being named in the will, or on the application of another person), they "step into the shoes" of the estate, and are expected to safeguard its interests to the fullest extent possible. They further are obligated to accurately inventory the estate's debts and assets, as well as notify possible beneficiaries.

Can a Forest Lake, Minnesota Estate Administration Attorney Help?

If you are the administrator of an estate, and are not a legal and/or financial professional, you might encounter legal or tax issues with which you are unfamiliar. A Forest Lake, Minnesota attorney would be very helpful in such a situation.