Which term describes the person who administers the estate of a deceased person without a will?

• A. The Executor
• B. The Trustee
• C. The Administrator
• D. The Guardian

Answer: (C)

When someone dies without a will, the estate goes through probate and a court appoints an administrator to handle it. The administrator’s job is to gather the decedent’s assets, pay debts and taxes, resolve any claims, and distribute what’s left to heirs according to state intestacy laws. This role exists specifically because there is no named executor in a will. An executor is the person named in a will to carry out its instructions, a trustee manages assets placed in a trust, and a guardian takes care of a minor or incapacitated person—not the decedent’s estate.