Administrator of an estate

The administrator of an estate is a legal term referring to a person appointed by a court to administer the estate of a deceased person who left no will. Where a person dies intestate, i.e., without a will, the court may appoint a person to settle their debts, pay any necessary taxes and funeral expenses, and distribute the remainder according to the procedure set down at law. Such a person is known as the "administrator of the estate" and will enjoy similar powers to those of an executor under a will. A female administrator may be referred to as an "administratrix", although this sex-specific term is old.