Selecting your executor is absolutely essential. That person will handle many vital responsibilities after your death. These include making sure that your assets go to the people you designated, taking care of your taxes, bills and debts and informing your bank of your passing.
It’s a project you don’t want to casually assign to just anybody. Even a best friend or family member that you know and like might not be well-suited for this particular task.
You should be certain that the person you ask to do this can do it capably. There may definitely be indications that they won’t do it satisfactorily. Some issues may make the alarm bells start sounding in your mind that the individual you are considering is not a good fit to be your executor.
When to be wary
Don’t shrug off any of the following. It’s better to continue your search for an appropriate executor than to entrust someone who is not up to the job to carry out your last wishes:
- Skip anybody who is short on integrity and trustworthiness.
- The person you ask appears unenthusiastic about being your executor. If they start fidgeting or initiating small talk when you bring the subject up, move on.
- Your executor shouldn’t be a person who is at odds with your relatives. Having arguments break out between them and the executor could be highly counter-productive.
- Their schedule is already packed. If they are busy non-stop every day, they will not have enough time to devote to this.
Obtain more information
Rather than name someone as your executor who can’t deal successfully with the role, learn more and ask questions first. Someone familiar with estate planning can be a helpful resource for you.
