Your life will quickly get busy after the person for whom you're serving the role of executor passes away. One of the first things that you need to do is to get your hands on the person's will. Some people will ensure that their executor has a copy of this important legal document in advance, but not everyone takes this approach. Some people are a little more private, while others might never have gotten around to giving you a copy of their will. To avoid challenges after the person's death, here are some things to obtain in advance.
Access to the Home
It might seem simple, but one of the first duties that you'll have when you're the executor is to get inside of the person's home — and doing so can be more challenging than it has to be. Make sure that you have a copy of a key that will grant you entry. It's easy to be so focused on the specific details of the will and the overall estate that you neglect to consider this important step. If the house has a security system, you should also learn the code so that you can deactivate it upon entry.
The Will's Location
Don't assume that once you're inside of the person's home, you'll easily find the will. People are understandably private about such documents, and there's a considerable chance that the person has actively hidden the will. This can make for hours of futile searching at a time that you're already in grief and have a substantial to-do list concerning the funeral and matters of the estate. Make sure that the person tells you where to find the will and pledges not to move its location after telling you.
Safe Combination or Key
People sometimes leave their wills in desks or dressers, but others put more effort into protecting this document. This means that if there's a safe or a locking filing cabinet inside of the person's home, there's a possibility that the will is inside — and this will be a challenge if you've made it into the house but cannot actually retrieve the will. When discussing the location of the will with the person, ensure that he or she gives you the safe combination, a copy of the key to the safe, or a copy of the key to the filing cabinet. Once you have the will in your hands, you can begin to move forward.
For additional help and advice, reach out to estate planning professionals like Christena Silvey Coleman CSC Law, LLC.
