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What Executors Can Charge to the Estate
Read guide: What Executors Can Charge to the EstateThe executor had spent more than expected before probate was even granted. There were court documents, replacement locks, insurance premiums, postage, property inspections and several…
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Paying Beneficiaries Before the Estate Is Finished
Read guide: Paying Beneficiaries Before the Estate Is FinishedThe executor had enough money in the estate account to make everyone happy. The deceased’s house had sold, the mortgage was repaid and more than…
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When Beneficiaries Turn Against the Will
Read guide: When Beneficiaries Turn Against the WillThe executor expected disappointment. One child had received the family home. Another had received a smaller cash gift. A third had been left out entirely.…
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Dividing the Things Money Cannot Measure
Read guide: Dividing the Things Money Cannot MeasureThe house sale produced no argument. There was an independent valuation, a marketing campaign and a settlement statement showing exactly where the money went. The…
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Keeping Difficult Beneficiaries From Derailing an Estate
Read guide: Keeping Difficult Beneficiaries From Derailing an EstateThe executor’s phone rang at 7.12 on a Sunday morning. A beneficiary wanted to know why the house had not sold. By lunchtime, another had…
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When the Estate Keeps Earning Money
Read guide: When the Estate Keeps Earning MoneyThe executor expected the estate to sit quietly while probate was completed. Instead, rent continued arriving from the deceased’s investment property. A company paid a…
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Balancing the Estate Books
Read guide: Balancing the Estate BooksThe executor thought the estate accounts would be simple. There had been a house, two bank accounts and three beneficiaries. The house sold for more…
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Paying the Estate’s Bills in the Right Order
Read guide: Paying the Estate’s Bills in the Right OrderThe executor opened the deceased’s mail and found three demands waiting. The first was a funeral invoice. The second was a credit-card statement. The third…
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Opening an Estate Bank Account: A Guide for NZ Executors
Read guide: Opening an Estate Bank Account: A Guide for NZ ExecutorsThe executor had finally received probate. For weeks, estate money had been scattered across restricted bank accounts, an investment provider, a property manager and several…
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