Estates: administration.

Existing law governs the administration of the estates of decedents. Under existing law, when an individual dies intestate, a court is authorized to appoint certain specified persons to act as that individual's personal representative and to administer the individual's estate. Further, existing law prescribes an order of preference for appointment among those persons. This bill would, until January 1, 2016, expand a court's appointment authority by authorizing the court to appoint an administrator who is nominated by a person who is not a United States resident if the nominator would otherwise be entitled to appointment as an administrator of the decedent's estate. Under the bill, the court would be required to consider whether the nominee is capable of faithfully executing the duties of the office, taking into account specified factors. The bill would also require the approved nominee to obtain bond, except as specified. The bill would prohibit the appointment of a nominee who is not a California resident. Under the bill, an administrator who ceases to be a California resident would be deemed to have resigned as the administrator.