The Executor’s Role in an Estate

There is no substitute for good records and good communication!

You’ve been chosen as the executor for your parents’ estate, or you’ve selected the executor for your estate. What does the executor do?

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How to Find the Best Executor for Your Estate

Don’t worry about hurting feelings when you make your choice

If there is truly a job that no one wants, it has to be executor of an estate. Being the executor requires great time and effort, and it is usually a thankless job. Mom and Dad, if you are choosing an executor, here are some suggestions. Read More >>

The Importance of a Will

A crucial document best taken care of well in advance

A will is a crucial document that must be taken care of well in advance of the end of your elder’s life. Do not allow your elder to die intestate (without a will). When your elder doesn’t have a will, the state may take over, which can become very complicated. You’re almost sure to lose a hefty percentage of the true value of the estate. By making a will and assigning power of attorney, your elder will feel comforted that his or her wishes will be carried out.

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6 Practical Ways to Help Your Parents This Fall

Always approach them with love

You can’t take it with you! If they are able, suggest to your parents that they write a master list of who should get what and give the document to the executor. Or they can ask each child what he or she would like to have, and put that on a “wish list.” A document cuts down on the “he-said-she-said” that often occurs when settling an estate.

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Mom Refuses to Create a Will

Without one, attorneys and the state get involved

My mother refuses to have a last will and testament drawn up. She doesn’t want to hear about the ramifications if she died without a will. It hurts me to think she will not take care of this matter. How can I get her to listen?

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A Word About Blended Families

Give your children precise directions for the time of your death

We have a blended family with grown children who are my husband’s, mine, and ours together. We are long retired, the children are grown, and we know it is time to make some serious decisions about our estate and division of heirlooms. For years, two of our children have been bickering over one piece in particular. Naturally we want to be fair, but I think our biggest concern is if some of the children get heirlooms that don't really belong to them because they are not from that side of the family. How can we handle this delicately?

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How Not to Become One of the Estate Lady’s Sad Stories

The best protection is an updated will

In my book and in many of my articles, I tell stories of estates I have handled with sad outcomes; either the parents were unprepared when death came, or there were serious and tragic family rivalries over possessions. With preparation, these situations are avoidable. Read More >>

More About the Basics of Probate, Part 2

As in life, so in death . . .

Probate begins when someone turns in the last will and testament of a recently deceased person (the “decedent”) to the probate court. The court then investigates whether this is indeed the last will and testament, and appoints an executor (or a personal representative or an administrator) to administer the estate.

Administering the estate involves winding up the decedent’s personal affairs. The executor identifies and safeguards all the decedent’s property, pays off all valid creditor claims, fights off any illegitimate creditor claims, and sells or liquidates property, keeping accurate records every step of the way. When all creditor issues are resolved, only then do the beneficiaries get their share, according to the will’s provisions. Read More >>