What are letters of administration?

Letters of Administration are a legal document issued by a court that grants authority to an individual, known as the administrator, to manage the estate of a deceased person who did not leave a valid will.

The administrator is responsible for distributing the assets of the estate among the deceased person's heirs according to state laws governing inheritance. The administrator is appointed by the court, and the court will typically issue Letters of Administration after determining that the deceased person did not leave a valid will and that there is no other individual who has the legal right to act as the administrator.