If you are an estate administrator, you know that many financial assets are simply going to be listed in the will. For instance, the individual who passed away may have had a bank account with a significant balance, and they wanted it to be split up between their...
2 questions to ask before you agree to be an estate executor
The decision to create a will is an enormous one. A will makes clear the testator’s intentions regarding their estate and ensures that their assets are distributed according to their wishes. Basically, an estate executor is responsible for facilitating the probate...
Non-probate assets every executor in California should know about
If you have been appointed as the personal representative of someone's estate, you're probably wondering whether the entire estate, including property and trusts, will have to go through the probate process. Some types of assets are subject to probate while others are...
The challenges of being an executor for a family member
The executor of an estate is the individual who is tasked with making sure that the wishes of the deceased are carried out as instructed. This may sound very simple in theory but, in practice, it can actually be quite challenging. You’re a family member of the...
Do you have to follow a person’s will regarding life insurance?
As the estate administrator, you know that it’s your job to pass the assets out to the heirs. The will is your guidebook that tells you how this is supposed to be done. You have to follow the instructions laid out for you by the person who died. Say that estate plan...
Skills and traits you need as an executor
Your elderly relative named you as the executor of their will. Now they are dead, you’re keen to carry out this task to the best of your abilities, but you’re not quite sure what being an executor entails. To carry out this assignment effectively, you’re going to need...
Does the estate executor influence who gets which assets?
After a loved one has passed away, the estate executor takes charge. They help to work through the probate process by getting the will admitted to probate, gathering and managing the assets, paying the bills and things of this nature. Ultimately they will distribute...
Does the executor have to pay an estate’s debts?
Your parents recently died and you were named the executor of their will. (If there is no valid will, this is called the "administrator.") It simply means that you're the one that handles the estate and takes care of things after your parents have died. As everything...
Estate planning to avoid probate
When California residents pass away, their family is often left to deal with their personal financial affairs that will still remain after the fact. This is especially true for people who die unexpectedly. Those who die intestate, or without a will, often risk having...
What does an executor do?
An executor (or administrator when there is no will) can be thought of as the "CEO of the Probate." It is a crucial legal and personal responsibility. The role of an executor An executor serves as the personal representative of the estate and sees to it that the will...