Q: Can I be brought in as an assistant to the personal representative of an estate? And if so, what is the best way?
I live in Indiana. My uncle, who also lived in Indiana, died several weeks ago. He was intestate, so there was no specification on who should be the personal representative, and as of right now, no one is officially "in charge" of the estate. My cousin, the deceased uncle's son, is interested in administering the estate and tying up the loose ends. He wants to become the personal representative and obtain a lawyer. However, he lives in the deep south, and traveling to Indiana is not possible. He wants to bring me in as a local, Indiana-based assistant to help him sort this out.
Although I am not a practicing attorney, I do have legal and business training, and would like to help my cousin out. 1) What does my cousin need to do to become the personal representative? 2) Once he is made the PR, is it okay for him to bring me in as the "point man" in Indiana, so that I can meet with attorneys, attend court, etc. on his behalf? How would we set that up?
A: Your cousin should have already contacted an Indiana estate attorney to handle the estate. There is no problem with having two co-personal representatives. Your attorney can prepare the paperwork.
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