We would be pleased to discuss the entire process with you, if you wish to call us. Generally, in Jefferson County, AL, if you do not open the estate yourself within 40 days from the date the person died, you will lose the right to open the estate yourself, and the General County Administrator will have the right to open the estate and manage the affairs, unless you ask for and the County Administrator decides to give you a "Renounciation".  I suggest that if the estate has any reasonable amount of assets, you hire an experienced attorney to guide you through the entire estate administration process