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 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.

The capacity of both natural and artificial persons determines whether they may make binding amendments to their rights, duties and obligations, such as getting married or merging, entering into contracts, making gifts, or writing a valid will.

A codicil is a document that amends, rather than replaces, a previously executed will. Amendments made by a codicil may only add or revoke a few small provisions (e.g., after something is sold or bought), or completely change the majority of the devises and bequests. Each codicil must contain the same legal requirements as the original will, such as the signatures of the testator and two or three disinterested witnesses.

Donation is a gift to a fund or cause, typically for charitable reasons. Donations are transfers, or gifts, given without return consideration. Sometimes people make monetary donations in memory of somebody who has died. When somebody dies, the survivors sometimes request that donations be made to a specific charity in memory of the deceased person, usually related to what the person did in his/her life or how he/she died. This is sometimes done by people if they cannot go to the ceremonies.

The person responsible for following your instructions and settling your estate. Executor (male) or executrix (female) is also a legal term referring to a person named by a maker of a will, or nominated by the testator, to carry out the directions of the will. Typically the executor is the person responsible for offering the will for probate, although it is not absolutely required that he or she do so. The executor's duties also include the disbursement of property to the beneficiaries as designated in the will, obtaining information about any other potential heirs, collecting and arranging for payment of debts of the estate and approving or disapproving creditor's claims. An executor also makes sure estate taxes are calculated, necessary forms are filed and tax payments made, and in all ways assists the attorney for the estate. Also the executor makes all donations as left in bequests to charitable and other organizations as directed in the will. In most circumstances the executor is the representative of the estate for all purposes, and has the ability to sue or be sued on behalf of the estate. The executor also holds legal title to the estate property, but may not use that property for the executor's own benefit unless expressly permitted by the terms of the will.

A person you would like who lawfully has the power and duty to take care of the children, property and rights in the case of your death or the other parents death while the children are under the age of majority.

Inheritance is the practice of passing on property, titles, debts, and obligations upon the death of an individual. It has long played an extremely important role in human societies

Intestacy is the condition of the estate of a person who dies owning property greater than the sum of his or her enforceable debts and funeral expenses without having made a valid will or other binding declaration; alternatively where such a will or declaration has been made, but only applies to part of the estate, the remaining estate forms the "Intestate Estate". Intestacy law, also referred to as the law of descent and distribution or intestate succession statutes, refers to the body of common law that determines who is entitled to the property from the estate under the rules of inheritance.