Papillion, Nebraska has a legal process known as "probate." This is when a court determines whether or not a will is lawful, and, accordingly, whether or not to effectuate its provisions.

In the probate process, a Papillion, Nebraska probate court has many duties, including ruling on a will's validity, making an inventory of the estate's assets, and making note of all the decedent's debts. Once the will is decided to be valid, the court will distribute the property according to its clauses.

Wills commonly name a person as the executor of the estate. If not, the court in Papillion, Nebraska will name one. This is most often the adult individual who stands to inherit the most funds or property from the will.

The executor is the individual who initiates probate proceedings. The person who stands to inherit the most from the will is normally appointed the executor, because they will have the most reason to help the process go as quickly as possible, so they can get their inheritance.

Duties of the Executor in Papillion, Nebraska

The executor has many duties regarding the will. First, they have to really initiate the probate proceedings, which must be finalized before the will is effectuated.

They further are obligated to provide notice to the people with a direct interest in the estate that the decedent has died, normally by filing a death certificate.

Executors are also obligated to make accessible an accounting of the testator's debts and assets, so their affairs can be wound up, along with a list of everybody who is named in the will, or otherwise stands to inherit.

Additionally, the executor is obligated to take a leading role in showing the validity of the will. The executor obviously has an incentive to see the process through, since they cannot inherit until probate is complete.

How Can A Papillion, Nebraska Lawyer Help?

Because of the intricacies inherent in the probate process, it is a good idea to hire an accomplished Papillion, Nebraska probate lawyer, particularly for the executors of estates.