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Terms Used In Wisconsin Statutes 879.57

  • Decedent: A deceased person.
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Minor: means a person who has not attained the age of 18 years, except that for purposes of investigating or prosecuting a person who is alleged to have violated a state or federal criminal law or any civil law or municipal ordinance, "minor" does not include a person who has attained the age of 17 years. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • Person: includes all partnerships, associations and bodies politic or corporate. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • Personal representative: means a person, however denominated, who is authorized to administer a decedent's estate. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • State: when applied to states of the United States, includes the District of Columbia, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the several territories organized by Congress. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01

If it is found by the court to be necessary to appoint a personal representative or guardian and there appears to be no person in the state to petition for the appointment or there appears to be no suitable person to be so appointed, the court shall, upon its own motion or upon the petition of any interested party, grant administration of an estate of a decedent or guardianship of the estate of a minor or individual who is adjudicated incompetent to the interested party or a special administrator, and he or she shall thereupon take possession of the estate and protect and preserve it, and proceed with the administration and with the care and management of the estate. The authority of a special administrator in the administration or guardianship may be revoked at any time upon the appointment and qualification of a personal representative or guardian, or when for any other cause the court deems it just or expedient. Revocation of authority does not invalidate the special administrator’s acts performed prior to revocation and does not impair the special administrator’s rights to receive from the estate his or her legal charges and disbursements, to be determined by the court.