You are obliged to distribute the assets as soon as possible after the death. You may be sued by the beneficiaries if you do not distribute the estate within a year. You have a duty to preserve the assets of the deceased until they are distributed and to protect the assets from devaluation.
Further, it is important to note that an Executor or Administrator has 12 months to deal with the distribution of an Estate from the date of death. If an Executor or Administrator fail in this regard a potential beneficiary may apply for the relevant Grant.
Yes, an executor can be held personally liable if they fail to act in the best interests of the estate or beneficiaries, particularly if mistakes result in financial loss or legal issues. It is important to act with care and seek professional advice if needed.
Can an Executor sell property without all beneficiaries agreeing? Yes, in certain situations. If there is no explicit instructions in a Will stating that property cannot be sold, an executor does have the authority to sell property without approval from all beneficiaries.
The children of the person who has died inherit the whole estate. This applies however much the estate is worth. If there are 2 or more children, the estate will be divided equally between them.
Children (or if none, grandchildren) will get an equal share. if there are no children or grandchildren, surviving parents will get a share. if there are no children, grandchildren or surviving parents, any brothers and sisters will get a share (or their children if they died while the deceased was still alive)
Intestacy laws provide for a decedent's assets to pass to their closest family members. Different heirs have different priority levels. For example, if a decedent died with a surviving spouse, their priority level generally is the highest, followed by the decedent's children.
After the gift has been formally disclaimed, the beneficiary loses all right to the asset in question with immediate effect and in the future. The gift will then fall back into the Estate and be distributed among the other Beneficiaries.