It is common for individuals to name executors to their estates before their passing. Though a person may accept the role of executor, he or she may not fully know what that entails. In particular, that person has the responsibility of handling the probate process in order to close the estate.
Understandably, most Texas residents do not have an extensive understanding of the probate process because they have likely not gone through it before. Hopefully, a loved one created a will before his or her passing which can help provide direct instruction for how to handle certain aspects of the probate proceedings, like those associated with asset distribution. The court will first need to validate the document before its contents can be acted upon.
There is typically only one person in charge of handling the tasks associated with settling final affairs, but more than one executor could be named. This person or people will need to provide the will to the court, and then after its validation, the executor will need to address the many steps of probate, including notifying beneficiaries and heirs, providing public notice of probate, and handling any final debts and other expenses of the estate. Though the executor will also need to distribute remaining assets, it is best for this step to occur near the end of the process to avoid unnecessary complications.
Though these few tasks may seem simple, the actual probate process is much more in-depth. Some parties may begin the proceedings and realize that they are not sure how to take the next steps. Fortunately, they do not have to try to settle these estates on their own. Texas attorneys are available to help interested parties throughout the legal process.