In Ennis, Texas, probate is a legal procedure that a court must go through before giving effect to a will. Before putting a will into effect, a court has to decide that it is legitimate.

As part of this procedure, the Ennis, Texas probate court will decide the validity of the will, inventory the decedent's assets and debts, and then, lastly, distribute the estate according to the will, assuming it is deemed to be valid.

Wills often name a person as the executor of the estate. If not, the court in Ennis, Texas will name one. This is most often the adult individual who stands to inherit the most funds or property from the will.

Because the executor is responsible for actually initiating probate proceedings and seeing them to finalization, 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 Ennis, Texas

The executor has many duties regarding the will. First, they have to actually initiate the probate proceedings, which must be finalized before the will is effectuated.

The executor also has to provide those with a direct interest in the will notice that the decedent has deceased, by filing an official death certificate.

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

Because the executor serves as the living representation of the decedent's estate, they are solely accountable for proving the validity of the will. This is a lot of work, but because executors are usually chosen based on how much they stand to inherit from a will once its validity is confirmed, they have a good incentive to see the process to finalization.

How Can A Ennis, Texas Lawyer Help?

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