Estate Planning
Apr 23, 2026
Should a Family Member Be an Executor? Key Considerations and Alternatives
Family members are the people we trust the most, but are they a good fit to handle our estates when we pass?
As a full-time corporate paralegal based out of Alberta and a freelance journalist, Brett Surbey brings a specialized background to ClearEstate’s content. He holds a Bachelor of Religious Education and a Professional Legal Assistant Diploma. In addition to his degrees, Brett also holds CORES Certifications Level 1, 2 & 3 from the Alberta Government and is a Commissioner for Oaths in Alberta.
In his day-to-day legal work, Brett assists lawyers with Alberta, British Columbia, and federal corporate matters, including Section 85 rollovers, complex share transmissions for both testate and intestate clients, and major mergers and acquisitions.
On the journalism side, Brett has covered topics such as personal finance, estate planning/administration and Canadian economics for years, with some of his work appearing in outlets such as CPA Canada’s Pivot Magazine, Canadian Mortgage Trends, Real Estate Magazine, Publishers Weekly, Forbes Advisor Legal and Success Magazine. He has also published work in academic journals.
Brett’s legal and journalism background give him the tools to explain complex topics for ClearEstate’s readership in simple language without sacrificing factual accuracy and intellectual rigour. Brett has been a freelance member of the ClearEstate content team on and off for a number of years and is always excited to learn more about the complex process of estate planning and administration in Canada.
What Brett writes at ClearEstate
Blog posts
