A Last Will & Testament is a legal document that identifies how a person's Assets will be distributed after death to Heirs and other Beneficiaries.

Before beginning the Probate process, review the deceased's Will to know how to legally proceed; it will help organize the steps of this process.

Note: even if the deceased did not create a Will, Probate is still required.

A Will should also identify who is in charge of managing its directives; this person is known as the Executor of the Will, Executor of the Estate, or just Executor.

Sometimes the term "Administrator" is also used interchangeably, but technically this should only be used when someone dies without a Will.

Regardless of the term, this person is the only one legally allowed to manage the deceased's Estate and must be authorized by court in order to begin.

Wills can be complicated legal documents, and though not required, it may help to contact an attorney for support.

Review the links below for more information on Wills, Executor responsibilities and search for local Probate Attorneys.