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What is an Administrator?

During the probate process  an executor or an administrator is officially announced. This person is a representative of the deceased that will take care of the estate, once the probate court considers a will valid.
It’s important to know the definition of both executor and administrator, and today our estate attorney in Raleigh NC will help you understand what an administrator is. If you'd like to read about an executor before moving on, visit back with a previous post, What is an Executor.
While an administrator might seem similar to an executor, there is a difference between the two.
 

What is an Administrator? | Attorney in Raleigh NC

An administrator is the person appointed by the court to handle an estate plan for a deceased person that failed to plan an estate or leave a will in place before death.
An administrator also manages a deceased's estate when a will was not accepted or probated, because it was deemed invalid. Reasons for failure to probate a will include:

  • The will did not follow stringent requirements
  • The will was lost prior to death
  • The decedent died without a will

Administrators are responsible for the following, after they are appointed by the probate court:

  • Tax returns
  • Paying estate debts
  • Handling unfinished business
  • Distributing assets to the beneficiaries or heirs

The main difference in an administrator and an executor is that an executor is chosen by the decedent and documented in an estate plan. An administrator is appointed only after a decedent passes away or becomes incapacitated without documenting a proper will or estate plan that has an executor in place.
If you don’t have an estate plan in place or haven’t reviewed yours in several years, now might be the best time to start. Our estate attorney is here to help you get your estate planning in order and ready, should you pass in an untimely manner or become incapacitated at some point. Contact our attorney in Raleigh NC to get started estate planning, today.

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