The procedure of distributing and maintaining the estate (the total accumulated property) of a person who dies is identified 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 Hudson, Wisconsin, the process of estate administration typically follows the procedures and instructions laid out 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 a Hudson, Wisconsin 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 frequently the person who stands to gain the most from the will, or who would inherit the most under Wisconsin's intestacy laws. Intestacy is the system that every state has in order to deal with the property of people who die without a will. It typically distributes the property to the closest living relatives of the decedent, assuming they can be located.

If the will doesn't name anyone as executor, or the individual who was named as executor is no longer living or cannot be found, anyone who has a direct interest in the will in Hudson, Wisconsin can apply to the court to be the executor.

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 Hudson, Wisconsin Estate Administration Attorney Help?

If you are the administrator of an estate, and are not a legal and/or financial professional, you might confront legal or tax issues with which you are unfamiliar. A Hudson, Wisconsin attorney would be quite helpful in such a situation.