When a person dies, a process known as "estate administration" must be carried out. This refers to all the procedures which must be followed in distributing a person's estate to their heirs or devisees.

If the person who died made and executed a valid will in Audubon, New Jersey, the process of estate administration usually follows the procedures and instructions laid out in the will.

Most commonly, a will names a person to serve as executor, whose job it is to ensure that the estate is properly administered.

The executor is usually whoever stands to obtain the most money or property if the will is given effect, since that is the person who likely has the most incentive to do their part in seeing that the probate process plays out to completion.

What if The Will Does Not Name an Executor?

If an Audubon, New Jersey will does not appoint anyone to serve as executor, or there is no will, the court has to choose someone to fill that role.

This is most often the person who would inherit most under the will, or under the intestacy scheme of New Jersey. Intestacy is when a person dies without having made a will, or if a will turns out to be invalid. The intestacy laws of each state determine how property is distributed in such a situation. In most states, it simply goes to the closest living relative.

If no executor is named in the will, anyone with a stake in the will can apply to the court in Audubon, New Jersey to be the executor of the estate, if they wish.

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 Audubon, New Jersey Estate Administration Attorney Help?

Some people are surprised when they find out they've been named the executor of a relative's estate. The responsibilities can seem daunting, but with the help of a good Audubon, New Jersey attorney, the process almost always goes pretty smoothly.