EXECUTORS

We often agree to be an executor for someone’s estate without really thinking about what it entails and whether, when the time comes, we can quickly gather all the information needed to carry out the wishes of the person who has died.

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A will is perhaps the starting point where someone indicates how and to whom they want their assets distributed, but a will rarely goes into great detail.

Gathering the information can be very difficult when many people have all their accounts online – current accounts, savings, credit cards, loans, utility bills, subscriptions, passwords to social media, etc.

I didn’t realise how complicated and confusing it could be until I found myself administering an estate, which included ending a tenancy, settling bills, and terminating agreements for all sorts of services. There was a lot to do, and I had trouble finding some of the information. It was even more difficult because I was grieving.

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This was where the idea of keeping a list of all critical information so that an executor has everything they need first started to form. Of course, it won’t erase the grief, but it will make your job as executor more straightforward. The list should be updated regularly and stored securely because it contains sensitive information.