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 usually 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 person who died made and executed a valid will in Palmerton, Pennsylvania, the process of estate administration usually follows the procedures and instructions laid out in the will.

Usually, wills assign an executor who is responsible for overseeing the administration of the estate, and seeing that its provisions are carried out, to the extent possible.

The executor is usually 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 Palmerton, Pennsylvania 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 often the person who stands to gain the most from the will, or who would inherit the most under Pennsylvania'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 usually distributes the property to the closest living relatives of the decedent, assuming they can be located.

When a will is silent as to who should be the executor, any individual who has some direct interest in the result can ask to be named executor by the Palmerton, Pennsylvania court.

Whoever is assigned 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 Palmerton, Pennsylvania Estate Administration Attorney Help?

If you are the administrator of an estate, and are not a legal and/or financial professional, you might encounter legal or tax issues with which you are unfamiliar. A Palmerton, Pennsylvania attorney would be very helpful in such a situation.