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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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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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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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Paying Estate Expenses While Probate Is Pending
Read guide: Paying Estate Expenses While Probate Is PendingThe funeral invoice was due on Friday. The deceased had enough money in a bank account to cover it several times over, but the account…
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When Several Executors Must Act as One
Read guide: When Several Executors Must Act as OneThe will appointed three executors. One lived near the deceased’s home and immediately began organising paperwork. Another lived overseas and wanted every decision documented before…
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When a Family Claim Puts an Estate on Hold
Read guide: When a Family Claim Puts an Estate on HoldThe will appeared simple. A father left nearly everything to one adult child, explaining privately that the other had “already received enough.” The executor obtained…
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The Executor’s Duty of Loyalty
Read guide: The Executor’s Duty of LoyaltyThe executor had found a buyer for the deceased’s house. The offer was lower than expected, but it came from the executor’s daughter. There would…
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The Executor’s Roadmap From Will to Final Payment
Read guide: The Executor’s Roadmap From Will to Final PaymentThe envelope looked ordinary. Inside was a signed will naming Daniel as executor of his aunt’s estate. He had agreed to take the role years…
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