You may have automatically answered yes when a friend or family member asked if they could put you down as the executor of their estate. Now that they have died, you may be feeling less confident about carrying out your role.
Here are a few ways you can make executing the estate easier:
Break it down into more manageable pieces
As with any complex task, it can be helpful to subdivide it into more manageable chunks. For example, first I will notify everyone who needs to know the person has died. Focusing on and ticking off sections of the overall job can help you avoid feeling overwhelmed. The positive feedback as you cross another line of your to-do list can help you stay motivated.
Be open
Some people with an interest in proceedings may never have experienced probate before. They might have no clue about how long it takes. Telling people from the outset that it may take months, and that you are not going to be working on it full-time because you still have all your usual responsibilities can help temper expectations.
Keeping people informed of progress, and of any difficulties that could delay things can also help.
Seeking assistance
As executor, you are allowed to ask for help. Some of that could be help given for free, such as by family members who gather information you may need concerning the deceased’s contacts, accounts and debts. Some of it may be paid help, for which you can likely use money from the estate – such as the assistance of a legal professional who has handled probate many times before.
By having someone guide you through the probate process you are less likely to make mistakes and more likely to get things down efficiently – to everyone’s benefit.