Northern Virginia Estate Administration Attorneys

Estate Administration Lawyer in North Virginia

When a person passes away, all of their possessions become part of their estate. If there is no will or trust in place, then the assets have to be divided according to Virginia law. These assets must be collected, inventoried, managed, and distributed in a manner that is legal. That is where the need for estate administration arises.

If you need a reliable North Virginia estate administration lawyer, contact the team at PJI Law today.

Duties of a Personal Representative

An estate administrator or personal representative of the deceased will be responsible for ensuring the estate is properly administered. Anyone can be named the administrator of an estate, but the responsibility is generally delegated to a family member, or an attorney. The important thing is that the chosen candidate must perform the duty in good faith.

The duties of an estate administrator include:

• Locating all the properties of the deceased person
• Gaining control of all properties and creating an inventory
• Paying taxes and debts with funds derived from the estate
• Distributing all remaining properties to the entitled parties

The process can be quite overwhelming, but hiring a competent estate administration lawyer can help ease the burden. Call PJI Law today to schedule a case review.

Tasks When Caring for the Estate

If you are the estate administrator, you have several tasks to attend to. You are the representative who will ensure the deceased’s last will and wishes are fulfilled. While the law does not require the administrator to be a professional lawyer or accountant, they are expected to perform their duties honestly.

Depending on the properties of the deceased, the executor is tasked to:

• Manage the estate finances, including collecting money and paying debts and taxes
• Locate the beneficiaries of the estate for distribution
• Identify all the assets of the deceased

What Is Probate?

Some people assume that if a person dies without a will, their possessions become a free-for-all – that is not true, since Virginia law charts out an estate administration process for such situations. If a will does exist, the named beneficiaries expect the assets to transfer to them automatically. This is also untrue, since the estate would need to go to probate.

It is best to avoid probate because:

• It can take over 12 months to complete
• The process can become very costly
• The bureaucratic nature and ease of potential disputes can cause significant stress to the deceased’s beneficiaries and loved ones
• Probate records are publicly available, so probate provides no reasonable expectation of privacy

Our experienced Northern Virginia estate administration attorneys are used to dealing with messy situations. The first step is to conduct a case review so that we may gain a better understanding of your situation and explore your legal options. Contact us today to book a consultation.