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

If the decedent has made a will in Independence, Ohio, 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 typically the person who stands to inherit the most money or property from the will, since this individualn will have the greatest incentive to see the probate and administration process to completion.

What if The Will Does Not Name an Executor?

If the will in Independence, Ohio 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 Ohio'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.

If no executor is named in the will, anyone with a share in the will can apply to the court in Independence, Ohio to be the executor of the estate, if they wish.

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 Independence, Ohio Estate Administration Attorney Help?

If you are the executor of an estate, and don't know how to handle some of the legal and financial difficulties that may arise, an efficient Independence, Ohio lawyer can make this process a great deal easier.