Being an executor of an estate can be an overwhelming and daunting task. Sometimes, grief on top of responsibilities makes the whole undertaking feel impossible.
That’s when executor support services can help you manage and carry out your duties as an executor of an estate. Executor support services are most beneficial for any executor who feels overwhelmed and is not sure what their responsibilities are as executor – especially for those in the sandwich generation, who work full-time and/or have young kids at home, and are caring for other elderly members of the family.
An executor is the person responsible for carrying out the wishes of a deceased person as outlined in their will.
Executor support services provide essential assistance to executors by helping them with estate administration and proper management of the assets of an estate. These services provide help with the numerous tasks that executors may be faced with, such as filing for probate, completing tax returns and other paperwork, making important financial decisions, notifying beneficiaries and tracking down estate assets and liabilities.
There are numerous third parties that executors have to deal with in the administration of the estate. Aside from the immediate task of organizing the post-death tasks such as funeral arrangements, executors will need to be in communication with financial service providers and organizations, such as investment and insurance companies, accountants, lawyers, Canada Revenue Agency, banks and more, and of course, the beneficiaries.
What Tasks Can Executor Support Services Help With?
There are different types of executor support services available, which are offered from various parties such as trust companies, lawyers and specialty companies such as Home to Home. Some firms will deal with the legal and financial aspects of administering an estate, such as filing probate, notifying beneficiaries, liquidating and distributing estate assets, and more.
Some firms specialize in dealing with the contents of the home, such as we do at Home-to-Home Advisory Services. In this case, this kind of service would help the executor with tasks like coordinating with family members what they wish to keep from the parents’ home, sorting and selling household contents, looking for items that have been willed to beneficiaries, arranging deliveries, or staging the home for sale. Services such as ours can also help with :
- Preparation of an estate inventory
- Obtaining necessary appraisals
- Clearing property
Executor support services can also be a great source of emotional support, as executors can often feel overwhelmed by the responsibility of managing an estate. They can provide support through the grieving process by offering compassionate listening, and helping with funeral arrangements or memorial services. Some may even have some mental health professionals and grief counsellors in their network and can give provide referrals.
Executor support services can also provide guidance and support throughout the estate management process. Guidance, being the most valuable help a person can get when going through the grief of a death in the family.
If you are an executor of an estate, consider utilizing executor support services to ensure that the deceased’s wishes are carried out in a timely and efficient manner.
Tags: aging, caregiving, elder care, family caregiver, senior care