Greenville Estate Administration Lawyers

What Is Estate Administration?

When an individual (a decedent) dies, their property goes through a variety of processes depending on the decedent's estate plan.

For example, if the decedent had a well-prepared estate plan, including a legally sound last will and trust, those documents will dictate how their estate is distributed. However, if an individual dies without a will, then their estate will be distributed according to South Carolina laws drafted for such an occasion.

Either way, estates often go through probate. During probate, the probate court works with an executor—an individual either specific in the decedent's will or appointed by the court if the decedent had no will—to ensure the decedent's will and last wishes are executed properly.

Executing a will involves taking an inventory of the decedent's property, repaying any creditors, and then distributing the estate among beneficiaries named in the decedent's will, among other things.

However, if the decedent had a trust, that can be used to circumvent the probate process, awarding assets to beneficiaries without going through probate.

As you can probably tell, distributing an estate after someone dies can be legally complex. The more assets and liabilities (debts) a decedent owns, the more complicated it will be to distribute their estate.

This is where estate administration comes in. An estate administrator will have prior knowledge of a decedent's estate and estate plan, enabling them to streamline processes such as probate and help the decedent's loved ones distribute their estate more easily.

Do I Really Need an Estate Administrator?

That depends on your estate, but the safe answer will almost always be "yes." You should consult a law firm that offers estate administration services—such as our team here at Blood Law, PLLC—and get a second opinion before committing to an estate administrator.

However, appointing an estate administrator has a variety of benefits:

• It gives you peace of mind. You don't have to worry about what will happen to your estate when you're gone or how difficult it will be for your loved ones to distribute your estate.
• It makes things easier for your loved ones. Having an estate administrator can make processes that are typically long and expensive, such as probate, much smoother.
• It's often more cost-effective in the long run. The time you save during processes like probate by having an estate administrator is usually more cost-effective long-term.

At Blood Law, PLLC, our Greenville estate administration lawyers will work with you to preserve your legacy and create a detailed administration strategy for your estate.

To schedule a consultation with our team, contact us online or via phone at (704) 286-0570.