HRS §560:3-103
You must be appointed to act as a personal representative
To act as a personal representative for someone who has died, you must be officially appointed by a court or registrar, meet the requirements, and receive letters. The estate administration process starts when those letters are issued.
personal representatives
The statute, as written — Necessity of appointment for administration
Except as otherwise provided in article IV, to acquire the powers and undertake the duties and liabilities of a personal representative of a decedent, a person must be appointed by order of the court or registrar, qualify and be issued letters. Administration of an estate is commenced by the issuance of letters.
LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.