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Practical information to help you understand your options and plan your next steps.
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Securing an Estate Before Conflict Takes Hold
Read guide: Securing an Estate Before Conflict Takes HoldThe executor arrived at the deceased’s home on Saturday morning and found the front door open. Two relatives were inside. One was packing jewellery into…
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When the Estate Cannot Pay Every Gift
Read guide: When the Estate Cannot Pay Every GiftThe will looked generous. It left $100,000 to one daughter, $50,000 to a close friend, $25,000 to each grandchild and the remainder of the estate…
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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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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…
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