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 decedent had the foresight to draft and execute a will in Brandon, South Dakota, the estate is typically administered in a way that follows the instructions the will lays out, as closely as possible.

Often, the will appoints an executor whose job it is to oversee the administration of the will.

The executor is usually whoever stands to acquire 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 a Brandon, South Dakota will does not assign 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 South Dakota. 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 share in the will can apply to the court in Brandon, South Dakota 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 Brandon, South Dakota 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 complexities that may arise, an experienced Brandon, South Dakota lawyer can make this process a great deal easier.