The Next Steps for an Executor

Associate Colin Flannigan regularly advises clients in the practice areas of wills, trusts, estate and incapacity planning, estate administration, residential and commercial real estate, property matters, corporate transactions and business law.

If you are an Executor of someone's final Will and testament, what are the first steps you need to take once that person passes away?  One of the most important jobs for an Executor is to follow through with what the Will has laid out.   Colin discusses some of the immediate steps to take in this episode of Legal Matters.

Transcript:

What should you do if someone passes away for whom you are the executor?

If it was an expected passing, you want to coordinate with the medical professionals. If it was unexpected passing, you want to deal with emergency services or the BC coroners services. 

Look into whether or not any funeral arrangements have been prepaid or pre-arranged to make sure that you're dealing with the correct funeral home. In working with the funeral home, you want to ensure that someone's final wishes are adhered to and that the death is properly registered, and a death certificate is obtained.

After that, you'll start looking into the estate. You will want to locate the original Will; you will start securing the assets protecting those that form part of the estate. 

From there, you will determine if probate is going to be necessary, and that will depend on what assets form part of the estate.

Cancelling unnecessary services is also an important step to ensure that no unnecessary expenses continue.

If you have any questions or concerns, please get in touch with us here at FH&P Lawyers, and we would be happy to help.