The procedure of distributing and maintaining the estate (the total accumulated property) of a person who dies is recognized as "estate administration." It is carried out either through the provisions of a will, or local laws addressing the issue of a person who dies without a will.

If the person who died made and executed a valid will in Elm Grove, Wisconsin, the process of estate administration normally follows the procedures and instructions laid out in the will.

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

The executor typically has at least some work cut out for them. This evidently raises the issue of compensation. The easiest way to guarantee that the executor does his or her job is simply to appoint the person who has the most to gain from the will. That way, they cannot inherit until the process is done.

What if The Will Does Not Name an Executor?

If an Elm Grove, Wisconsin will does not name an executor, or no will exists or can be found, it's up to the local court to determine who should be the executor.

This is most commonly the person who would inherit most under the will, or under the intestacy scheme of Wisconsin. 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 govern how property is distributed in such a situation. In most states, it simply goes to the closest living relative.

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 Elm Grove, Wisconsin court.

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 Elm Grove, Wisconsin Estate Administration Attorney Help?

If you have unexpectedly been appointed to be the executor of a relative's estate, and don't know how to handle this process, you should speak with a seasoned Elm Grove, Wisconsin wills and trusts attorney.