Administrator is a person who takes charge of the property of a person who has died. Probate courts appoint administrators to handle the property of people who leave no will, or who leave a will but name no executor. An executor is a person who is named in a will to handle property (see Executor ). The administrator’s duty is to collect the assets of the dead person’s estate, pay claims against the estate, and then distribute the balance to the person’s heirs and next of kin—or to the legatees (beneficiaries) of the will if there is one.
Courts usually name a qualified close relative of the deceased to serve as administrator. In many large cities, officials called public administrators manage the estates of dead people who have no relatives. When citizens of another country die while in the United States without leaving a will, their country’s consul is usually named to administer the estate.
