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Estate Administration: Final Instructions Are Invaluable

Home Our Blog Estate Administration: Final Instructions Are Invaluable

By Barry Zimmer on November 21st, 2019 in Estate Planning

final instructionsEstate planning can seem as though it is a matter of executing documents that state your final wishes regarding the way that you want your assets to be distributed. In reality, this is the first step, but you should also consider the hands-on tasks that must be completed after you pass away.

Estate Administration

If you utilize a last will as your primary vehicle of asset transfer, you name an executor in the document. This individual would be responsible for administering the estate, and the probate court would be involved to determine the validity of the will and provide supervision.

Many people that understand all of the benefits would choose a living trust instead of a last will. We will get into the differences in another blog post, but we are sticking to the subject of estate administration here.

A person that establishes a living trust is called the grantor, and the administrator of a living trust is the trustee. The grantor would typically act as the trustee while they are alive and well, and a successor trustee would be named in the trust declaration to assume the role after the grantor’s passing.

Letter of Final Instructions

Regardless of which estate planning method you choose, the administrator is going to need certain information to be able to conduct the business of the estate. You can provide it through the inclusion of a letter of final instructions.

There is no hard and fast, etched-in-stone formula with regard to what must be contained within this letter. It is basically a matter of common sense. You have to ask yourself what information the executor or trustee will need to be able to effectively administer your estate.

The above being stated, to provide a basic framework, you want to provide contact information for the people that should be informed about your passing. These can be professionals like your lawyer, accountant, etc., and you can add people that you have had personal relationships with as well.

You should share a list of your financial accounts along with the location of all relevant documents Access to real property, lockboxes, sheds, garages, and the like should be provided.

Most people conduct a lot of business online, so passwords and usernames would certainly be part of the equation. If you have blogs, websites, and/or social media accounts, you should instruct the administrator with regard to the way that you want them to be handled after you are gone.

Details about final arrangements can be recorded if this is something that is important to you. Many people have very specific ideas about memorial services and other details, and this is another thing that you can think about.

Download Our Special Reports

You reached this website because you are looking for information about estate planning and elder law topics, and you are certainly in the right place. We urge you to visit this blog often, because it is consistently updated, and there are hundreds of previous posts that you can access.

In addition to the blog, we have additional written resources, including our library of special reports. These informative reports have been carefully prepared to convey information in a comprehensive but easy to understand manner.

There is no charge at all, so you can build on your knowledge without reaching into your wallet.

We have reports that cover different aspects of estate administration, and there are many others. You are free to access any or all of them, and you can click the following link to see the titles: Free Estate Planning and Elder Law Reports.

We Are Here to Help!

Written information is a great way to gain a more thorough understanding of the estate planning process, but there is no substitute for a one-on-one discussion with an attorney. If you are ready to take that step, give us a call at 513-721-1513 to schedule a consultation. There is also a contact form on this website that you can use to send us a message.

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