You may have just lost a loved one and are still grieving. But when you are an executor of their estate, you must also take on the responsibility of their assets. This can be overwhelming for some people. But understanding what is involved in being an executor will help take some stress off you.
An executor of an estate in Illinois is an individual who helps to finalize the finances and assets for the deceased person. They trust you to carry out their final wishes. But what all does that involve? Some responsibilities that you may have are:
As you can see, this is not an easy task. An executor needs to be organized and understand what needs to be done. Closing an estate can take roughly 6-12 months. You will not work every day, but there will be days that this duty requires your full attention.
Of course, you’ll want to be a good executor of an estate. If the person is still alive, ask them questions! Sit down with the person and go over their will in detail. This will help ensure that you understand their final wishes.
If the person is no longer living and appointed you their executor, it may help to hire a probate attorney to explain the process to you. The attorney can be there to only answer questions, or you may need them full-time to take over as executor.
You can work with an attorney for any level of help necessary. Perhaps you need someone to explain the steps to you. Or the estate may be complicated, and you need someone to act as the executor. Either way, a probate attorney can help in any capacity required.
Talk to the experienced probate attorneys at the Estate and Probate Legal Group about how to carry out the duties of an executor of an estate. Contact us today at 630-864-5835.
AREAS WE SERVE: Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake and Will counties
