Section 53-6-15. Petition for letters of administration with will annexed

   (a) Every petition for letters of administration with the will annexed shall be made in accordance with the procedures set forth in Code Section 53-5-21 if the will has not yet been admitted to probate and shall include a prayer for issuance of letters of administration with the will annexed. The petition shall set forth the names, addresses, and ages or majority status of the beneficiaries who are capable of expressing a choice, as defined in subsection (a) of Code Section 53-6-14, and the circumstances giving rise to the need for an administrator with the will annexed. The petition shall be served on the beneficiaries of the will who are capable of expressing a choice in the manner described in Chapter 11 of this title. If the petition for letters of administration with the will annexed is based upon the expiration of a reasonable time for any nominated executor to qualify, any nominated executor who has failed to qualify shall also be served.

(b) If the will has been admitted to probate, the petition for letters of administration with the will annexed shall set forth the names, addresses, and ages or majority status of the beneficiaries who are capable of expressing a choice, as described in subsection (a) of Code Section 53-6-14, the date on which the will was admitted to probate, and the circumstances giving rise to the need for an administrator with the will annexed. The petition shall be served on the beneficiaries of the will and the executor, if any, of any deceased executor whose death created the vacancy in the manner described in Chapter 11 of this title.

(c) In the case of an estate partially administered and unrepresented because of the death of the previous executor, the judge shall determine whether the interest of the first estate and the persons interested in the first estate will be best served by the appointment of an administrator with the will annexed or the executor, if any, appointed under the will of the deceased previous executor.

Code 1981, § 53-6-15, enacted by Ga. L. 1996, p. 504, § 10; Ga. L. 1997, p. 1352, § 12; Ga. L. 1998, p. 1586, § 21.