The Personal Representative (also referred to as the “Executor”) is the individual who has been specifically named in the Will of the deceased person to serve as the administrator of the estate. The Personal Representative must collect all of the estate assets, pay the final debts of the deceased individual, and make distributions of the estate assets pursuant to the terms of the will. In short, the Personal Representative must faithfully follow the provisions of the will as laid out by the deceased person.
In addition, the Personal Representative typically hires an attorney to assist in the administration of the estate due to the complexities involved with the probate process. The attorney can provide the necessary instructions to carefully carry out the terms of the will and the provisions of the Probate Code. The attorney can also defend the Personal Representative in probate court with regard to any attacks against the Personal Representative's actions in handling the administration of the estate.