"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 Berkeley, Missouri, the process will play out according to the instructions stated in the will.

Wills normally name an executor. The executor's role revolves around guaranteeing that the instructions in the will are implemented.

The executor is frequently 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 the will in Berkeley, Missouri does not name an executor, or the decedent left no will to be found, the court has to assign a person to serve as the administrator of the estate.

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

In cases where the will doesn't name an executor, or the person named is unable to take on that role for whatever reason, any person who has some direct share in the decedent's estate (either because they're named in the will or stand to inherit by intestacy) can petition a Berkeley, Missouri court to be assigned executor.

Once an executor is finally named, he or she becomes responsible for serving as the living embodiment of the estate, utilizing all legal means to protect the estate's interests (such as mounting plausible legal defenses against creditors).

Can a Berkeley, Missouri Estate Administration Attorney Help?

If you are the administrator of an estate, and are not a legal and/or financial professional, you might confront legal or tax issues with which you are unfamiliar. A Berkeley, Missouri attorney would be quite helpful in such a situation.