In White Oak, 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 determine that it is valid.

As part of this procedure, the court in White Oak, Texas has several important responsibilities. Most vitally, it has to decide if the will is valid, and consider evidence that it is not (if any such evidence exists). The probate court then has to ensure that the property is distributed in an orderly manner, as close to the terms of the will (assuming it is valid) as possible.

The executor of the estate is commonly named in the will. If not, the probate court in White Oak, Texas will name will appoint a person to serve as executor. This is usually the person who stands to inherit the most under the will.

The executor is the person responsible for initiating the probate proceedings. The person who would inherit the most from the will is appointed, because they have the greatest inducement to move the process along as quickly as possible, so they can get their inheritance.

Duties of the Executor in White Oak, Texas

The executor has several duties with respect to the will. First, it is his or her job to actually initiate probate proceedings, which often must be finished before the will is given effect.

They also are required to provide notice to the people with a direct interest in the estate that the decedent has died, usually by filing a death certificate.

There may be several people who are entitled to take under a testator's will, with which the testator may have fallout out of touch years ago. This can make them difficult to find, but they need to be found, nonetheless. To that end, the executor is required to make a list of everyone who might be able to inherit, whether they're named in the will, or closely related to the testator. Additionally, they have to make known all of the decedent's major assets and debts.

Finally, executors have to actually put forth the effort to prove that a will is valid. As the sole legal representative of the estate, this is their job, and is required for them to inherit, giving them an incentive.

How Can A White Oak, Texas Lawyer Help?

Because of the complexities inherent in the probate process, it is a good idea to hire an experienced White Oak, Texas probate lawyer, particularly for the executors of estates.