What is an administrator?

An administrator is a person who is appointed by a court to manage the estate of a deceased person who died without a will. In New Jersey, an administrator is usually appointed by the Surrogate’s Court or the County Clerk’s Office in the county in which the deceased resided. An administrator has the same duties as an executor, which is someone who is named in the deceased’s will. This includes managing the estate, taking inventory of the deceased’s assets, collecting debts owed to the estate, paying any necessary debts, filing taxes, and distributing the estate to the beneficiaries. In some cases, the administrator may also have to defend the estate against any lawsuits. An administrator should always act in the best interest of the estate and its beneficiaries and must be approved by the court. They may be a relative or a trusted friend of the deceased, or a professional fiduciary, such as an attorney or a bank trust department.

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