Estate administration is the procedure during which the estate of a person who has recently died is maintained and divided among his or her heirs or beneficiaries. This typically happens according to the instructions in a will, but in case there is no will, there are laws regulating that situation, as well.

If the decedent (the person who died) left a will, the process of estate administration in Butler Pennsylvania will typically be carried out according to the instructions in the will.

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

The executor usually has at least some work cut out for them. This apparently raises the issue of compensation. The easiest way to guarantee that the executor does his or her job is simply to appoint the person who has the most to gain from the will. That way, they cannot inherit until the process is finalized.

What if The Will Does Not Name an Executor?

If a will in Butler, Pennsylvania does not name a person to serve as executor, or the decedent dies without having written a will, the court will assign a person to act as estate administrator.

This is most frequently the person who would inherit most under the will, or under the intestacy scheme of Pennsylvania. 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 control how property is distributed in such a situation. In most states, it simply goes to the closest living relative.

If the will doesn't name a person who is to serve as executor, or the individual named is no longer alive or cannot be found, anyone with a direct interest in the will can apply to the Butler, Pennsylvania court to be the 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 Butler, Pennsylvania Estate Administration Attorney Help?

If you have unexpectedly been appointed to be the executor of a relative's estate, and don't know how to handle this process, you should speak with a reliable Butler, Pennsylvania wills and trusts attorney.