Courtney v. Lawson

WILNER, Chief Judge.

The testamentary law of Maryland sets forth an order of preference that the court must follow in appointing an administrator for an intestate estate. A decedent’s child is preferred over the decedent’s sibling, but the sibling is preferred over someone unrelated to the decedent. The law also, however, disqualifies a person under 18 from serving as administrator. The question before us is whether the mother of the decedent’s minor child, who has also been appointed as guardian of the property of the child but who is not the surviving spouse of or otherwise related to the…