Articles and guides
Explore this topic
Practical information to help you understand your options and plan your next steps.
-
When You Can Settle an Estate Without Probate
Read guide: When You Can Settle an Estate Without ProbateThe family expected months of court paperwork. The deceased had left a valid will naming one adult child as executor. There was no house, no…
-
When the Executor Has a Personal Stake
Read guide: When the Executor Has a Personal StakeThe executor wanted to buy the deceased’s business. On paper, the plan seemed practical. The executor already understood the operation, the employees knew them, and…
-
Paying Urgent Estate Bills Before Probate
Read guide: Paying Urgent Estate Bills Before ProbateThe funeral invoice arrived before the executor had even located the deceased’s latest bank statements. The family had assumed the bank would simply allow the…
-
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…
-
Probate or Letters of Administration?
Read guide: Probate or Letters of Administration?The family knew there was money in the estate. What they did not know was who had authority to touch it. The deceased had signed…
-
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…
-
The Executor’s Digital Estate Checklist
Read guide: The Executor’s Digital Estate ChecklistThe executor found the house keys in the kitchen drawer. The bank statements were filed neatly. The insurance documents were labelled, the will was stored…
-
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…
-
When the Family Trust Owns the Assets
Read guide: When the Family Trust Owns the AssetsThe executor thought the estate contained a house, a rental property and several investment accounts. The deceased had managed all of them, paid the bills…
100% free to create
Turn your decisions into a will
Create your will online with no platform fee, subscription or payment required.