Getting Started
Getting Started
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What Are The Executor's Duties?
Here’s a summary of what you’ll be doing when you serve as an executor.
Serving as Executor
Serving as Executor
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Who Can Serve as Executor? Legal Restrictions
Ultimately, state courts are in charge of who they allow to serve as executor of a will - at least in their probate courts.
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Do I Receive Payment for Serving as Executor?
Being a conscientious executor takes a lot of time and effort. Should you get paid for taking on the job? State law typically provides for payment of the executor.
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I'm The Executor - Do I Need to Hire a Lawyer?
Many executors are able to wrap up an estate themselves, without hiring a probate lawyer.
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Can you "fire" the executor? A court can always remove an executor who is dishonest or seriously incompetent.
Collecting and Managing Estate Assets
Collecting and Managing Estate Assets
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The Executor's Responsibility to Manage Estate Property
The executor is charged with keeping estate property safe and secure until it's turned over to the beneficiaries.
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Estimating the Value of Inherited Real Estate
When passing along real estate, the executor must value the property appropriately.
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How Transfer-on-Death Beneficiaries Claim Vehicles
If a car or truck was registered using a TOD form, probate won't be necessary. The beneficiary usually just needs a title and I.D.
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Claiming Inherited Property With a Sworn Affidavit
If it's available in your circumstances, one great substitute for probate is for inheritors to claim property with a simple sworn statement, or affidavit.
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Claiming Money From a Payable-on-Death Bank Account
When the owner of a payable-on-death account dies, the POD beneficiary can simply claim the money from the bank.
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How do I close my deceased parents' checking account?
If you are named as a POD beneficiary on the account, or if you're managing the estate in a probate proceeding, closing the checking account and getting the funds should be fairly easy.
The Specifics
The Specifics
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Opening a Bank Account for Estate Funds
To collect the deceased person's cash assets and to have a way to pay the bills, you'll need a bank account for estate funds. Here's how it works.
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Executors: How Do You Find The Will?
What if you're not even sure there IS a will? Here are some tips on how to conduct your search.
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How To Determine if a Will is Valid
It isn't usually hard to tell whether or not a will meets your state's legal requirements for validity. Here's what to look for.
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It's not always easy going, so here's a guide to help you through the will.
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Executors: Ordering Certified Death Certificates
If you’re the executor or administrator of an estate, you’re going to need copies of the deceased person’s death certificate.
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What If The Beneficiary of a Will Has Died?
The will may provide instructions for what happens if a beneficiary predeceases the will-maker, but if it doesn't, state law determines who inherits.
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Who Gets a Group Inheritance When One Member Has Died?
When an inheritance is left to a group and one member is no longer living - for example a "member" child of a "group" of children - it can be confusing for everyone. Here's how to make sense of it.
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What Tax Returns Must The Executor File?
An overview of all the tax returns the executor might need to file on behalf of the deceased person or the estate.
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Executors: Keep Beneficiaries Informed
One of the most important jobs for an executor is to keep beneficiaries in the loop as you work to settle the estate.