Redact Legal Massachusetts Property Settlement Forms For Free

The Appointment of a Personal Representative An Informal Petition may be submitted to the Court for review and consideration after giving just seven (7) days advance notice to the interested parties. Unlike the informal procedure, a Petition for Formal Probate is filed with the Court prior to giving notice.

All records including photographs, memos, books, papers, maps, recorded tapes, financial statements, statistical tabulations, or other documentary materials or data are considered public information in Massachusetts, unless they are withheld from public view under one of the sixteen exemptions.

Summary of Responsibilities of a Personal Representative of an Estate in Massachusetts. As you can see from the short overview above, Personal Representatives must be able to handle a few different types of tasks. They must file legal paperwork, sell assets, pay debts, distribute funds to heirs, etc.

In Massachusetts, once that person is appointed by the court to manage the probate estate, he/she is called the "Personal Representative". Before, adopting the Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code in 2012, this person was referred to as the "Executor" or the "Executrix". The bottom line is that they mean the same thing.

Letters of Administration are official documents that grant an individual permission to access and manage an Estate after someone dies. This individual -- called the Administrator of Estate -- is then in charge of paying outstanding debts and distributing property to relatives.

Letters of Authority: A document issued by the court evidencing the personal representative's authority to act. Nominee: The person seeking to be appointed personal representative.