You have been chosen by a family member or friend to act for them or on behalf of their family in times of need. While you want to help, it is a big responsibility that can be very time-consuming and emotionally draining. It is easy to feel overworked and underappreciated. The saying “It is a thankless job, but someone has to do it” is directly on point.
Some of the duties involved in acting as executor and probating an estate are:
- File the will in the correct court;
- Collect, protect and inventory the estate;
- Notify all heirs, beneficiaries and creditors of the estate;
- Publish notices of death;
- File all required taxes;
- Prepare and provide accounting for approval of heirs or legatees.
- File all required taxes;
- Distribute assets; and
- Close the estate.
While serving as trustee for a trust administration is different because it can sometimes be handled privately, outside of the court, many of the fiduciary duties are the same. If you miss a step or file something incorrectly, it can create delays and cause a major headache while you try to back-step and get everything corrected.
Wouldn’t it be a relief to get the beneficiaries off your back? Make your life simple again? Reduce your personal risk? Spend less time? Delegate? Preserve family relationships? Balance the many demands of this job with your other work and personal time?
The key to a smooth, efficient, worry-free estate or trust administration is to have a plan. You need a plan for administering a probate or trust estate that is as efficient as possible with the least amount of time and energy required.
How does that happen? You have two options:
1. You can do work, take a wage for your time, pay taxes and hope that you do things right. You can deal with family members, jealousies, and family history yourself. You can risk damaging family relationships, making mistakes and opening yourself up to liability and litigation.
OR
2. You can have someone who has the expertise do the work in less time and with higher quality. Hiring an expert protects you from personal liability. A professional can remain neutral and objective and complete the job without the emotional aspects coming into play.
By hiring expert legal advisors, you will learn exactly what needs to be done and get help to do it. At Matlin Law Group, P.C., we equip executors and trustees with the skills and strategies to keep both probate estate and trust administration on track and bring balance between the job of executor or trustee and your personal life. Matlin Law Group is your resource for both outsourcing your fiduciary workload and receiving strategic direction – a sustainable plan for successful estate and trust administration.
Schedule a consultation and get on the right track toward a successful estate administration today. SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION
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