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 has made a will in Meadows Place, Texas, the process will play out according to the instructions stated in the will.

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

The executor is typically 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 the will in Meadows Place, Texas 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 normally the person who will benefit the most if the will is executed. If there is no will (a situation identified as "intestacy"), Texas has a system of laws distributing the decedent's property to his or her closest living relative. In such a case, the closest living relative has the most to gain from an orderly administration of the estate, so they will normally be appointed.

In cases where the will doesn't name an executor, or the person named is unable to take on that role for whatever reason, any person who has some direct share in the decedent's estate (either because they're named in the will or stand to inherit by intestacy) can petition a Meadows Place, Texas court to be assigned executor.

When the executor is chosen, they serve as a sort of incarnation of the decedent's estate - the estate's legal interests become the executor's interests, and the executor is expected to safeguard the estate's interests as they would their own.

Can a Meadows Place, Texas Estate Administration Attorney Help?

Some people are surprised when they find out they've been named the executor of a relative's estate. The responsibilities can seem daunting, but with the help of a reliable Meadows Place, Texas attorney, the process almost always goes pretty smoothly.