There are certain moments in life that no one wants to go through. This can include getting let go from a job, going through a breakup, or losing a loved one, whether that be a family member or a close friend. The pain of having a loved one pass away can be consuming, exhausting, and sharp.
The problem is that life around you doesn’t stop when tragedy hits. Your loved one’s finances and possessions need to be dealt with, their will needs to be read and carried out, and all of the thousand banalities of life—including magazine subscriptions, phone plans, and appointments—need to be cancelled, notified, and suspended. If you’ve been named an executor of your loved one’s estate, you’re dealing with grief amidst many administrative and legal tasks, the majority of which you’re probably facing for the first time.
And while it’s a tough process, it’s very necessary. Without an appointed estate executor, your loved one’s estate can get tied up in nebulous, long-winded court proceedings. In the worst-case-scenario, the estate would land in the hands of the probate court, which will then fall back upon established guidelines on how an estate is divided up if no will or executor is found.
So whether you’ve suddenly found yourself shouldering the burden of settling one of your relatives’ estate with little forewarning, or have been mentally preparing yourself for this task for months or even years, the truth is that there will be plenty of surprises and obstacles that you may not have anticipated. So we’re here to tell you what it’s really going to be like.