We'll help you administer an estate, with or without a will. Remember that the estate should be administered in the county where the person lived.

A Quick Look at Wills

When a person dies, an estate is created. Now, an estate includes property that the decedent owned, and the law requires that someone must administer the estate.

• By the way, administration is the process of paying the decedent's outstanding debts and distributing the remaining property.

• The person in charge of the administration is called an administrator (if there's no will) or an executor/executrix (if there is a will). Because the administrator or executor holds a position of trust, a person with either title is often called a fiduciary.

After the fiduciary is appointed to administer the estate, he or she must file an Appraisement and Inventory Form within 90 days of qualification and completing final settlement.

There is a fee to administer an estate, record and publish an appraisement, or to record a final settlement.

If there's no will, the decedent is said to have died intestate, and his property passes by statutes called the laws of intestacy.

What We Do

We don't create wills, but we do record them after someone dies. If you're interested in writing your will, we suggest you talk with an attorney. Here's a link to the West Virginia Bar Association, or check the Yellow Pages in the phone book. You have a couple of other options, too, including buying a do-it-yourself will kit at office supply stores or finding software that will help you draw up a will. If you have any questions at all about what to include or how to make sure what you have is correct, you probably should visit an attorney.

We're open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and we look forward to helping you. Visit us in Room 204 or call (304) 424-1898.

If you have questions, please call. We'll do our best to help you.

 

Location
The Courthouse

Contact Information

Document Recording	(304) 424-1899
Record Room	(304) 424-1870
Finance	(304) 424-1852
Marriages	(304) 424-1860
Probate	(304) 424-1898
Vital Statistics	(304) 424-1845
Voter Registration	(304) 424-1860

Hours of Operation

Monday-Friday

8:30am-4:30pm

Mailing Address
Wood County Clerks's Office
#1 Court Square
P.O. Box 1474
Parkersburg, WV 26102