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Getting Paid for Acting as Executor
Read guide: Getting Paid for Acting as ExecutorThe executor had expected paperwork. He had not expected the role to take over his evenings. For nearly a year, he dealt with probate forms,…
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What Probate Really Costs in New Zealand
Read guide: What Probate Really Costs in New ZealandThe executor received three very different answers to one apparently simple question. “How much will probate cost?” One person said it should cost only the…
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Stepping Away From the Executor Role
Read guide: Stepping Away From the Executor RoleThe will had been signed years earlier. At the time, agreeing to act as executor felt like a small favour for someone close. Then the…
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When the Executor Will Not Take Charge
Read guide: When the Executor Will Not Take ChargeThe will named one executor. Everyone knew who she was, where she lived and how to contact her. She had the original will, understood that…
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When an Executor Must Be Removed
Read guide: When an Executor Must Be RemovedThe beneficiaries had stopped asking when the estate would be finished. They were now asking whether it was safe. The executor had held probate for…
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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…
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The Search for a Missing Will
Read guide: The Search for a Missing WillThe family had searched every drawer in the house. They found insurance papers, old bank statements, passports that had expired years earlier and a folder…
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Lock, List and Protect: Securing an Estate’s Property
Read guide: Lock, List and Protect: Securing an Estate’s PropertyThe front door was unlocked when the executor arrived. Inside, several relatives were sorting through drawers. One had placed a box of photographs in the…
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The Executor’s Communication Playbook
Read guide: The Executor’s Communication PlaybookThree days after the funeral, the executor’s phone began filling with messages. One beneficiary wanted to know how much the house was worth. Another asked…
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