Carteret, New Jersey has a legal process known as "probate." This is when a court decides whether or not a will is lawful, and, accordingly, whether or not to effectuate its provisions.

In the probate process, a Carteret, New Jersey probate court has various 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 determined to be valid, the court will distribute the property according to its terms.

Wills frequently name a person as the executor of the estate. If not, the court in Carteret, New Jersey will name one. This is most often the adult individual who stands to inherit the most money or property from the will.

Because the executor is responsible for truly initiating probate proceedings and seeing them to completion, the person chosen for this role is often the one who stands to inherit the most from the will - giving them an incentive to put in the necessary time and effort.

Duties of the Executor in Carteret, New Jersey

The executor has many duties concerning the will. First, they have to truly initiate the probate proceedings, which must be completed before the will is effectuated.

Additionally, the executor has to make sure that the decedent's relatives and other people named in the will have notice of the testator's death, typically through the filing of a copy of the official death certificate.

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

Moreover, the executor is obliged to take a leading role in establishing 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 Carteret, New Jersey Lawyer Help?

Because this can be (though isn't always) a fairly confusing process, it's a good idea to get a knowledgeable probate lawyer in Carteret, New Jersey, especially if you find yourself being the executor of an estate, and aren't sure how to proceed.