The day of death can be a confusing time for an acting executor. Since the probate court hasn’t approved an executor to the estate, confusion results for an acting executor about their responsibilities at the date of death. Without some guidance, this confusion could last until the acting executor receives the approval letter.

The Call to Action for the Acting Executor

Usually, the immediate family will plan the funeral. However, if plans for the funeral exist in the will, the acting executor should step in to carry out the plans when necessary. As acting executor for my Uncle’s estate, I stepped in to help plan the funeral with other family members. Fortunately, other family members that had a closer relationship to my Uncle, initiated the funeral planning the same day of his death. The following day, I stepped in to make sure the funeral plans considered the instructions written in the will and to finalize the funeral plans. That same day, after a few adjustments, I completed the funeral plans.

Typically, the burial process usually takes a few days from the day of death to the actual burial. An acting executor should take this time to complete the following tasks of the upcoming estate administration: 

1. Collect the death certificates – Eventually, the executor will need death certificates to collect assets and close accounts.
2. Safeguard personal property of the decedent.
3. Secure the will.
4. Stop social security benefits if any.
5. Inform tenants, if any, that you are the interim landlord. Also, inform the tenants as to where they should send the rent check.

Conclusion

Finally, after the funeral, there will be a few small tasks such as writing thank you notes, cancelling subscriptions, etc. However, to concentrate on the upcoming estate administration, the acting executor should delegate these small tasks to family members or beneficiaries of the estate, if possible.

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