Who Can I Name as a New Executor of My Will?

“I want to name a new executor. Who could I name as a backup?”

MoneySense’s recent article, “Should the sole recipient of an estate be the executor too?” explains that naming someone as an executor is an extremely important duty. The task carries a lot of responsibility. With new rules that have been passed in the last year, the tax reporting and understanding of the assets in an estate is extremely important.

There are several factors to consider, when you think about whom you might name as an executor. First, is age. It’s smart to choose a person who’s younger than you. Although that doesn’t guarantee that person will outlive you, it certainly will up the odds. Ideally, you should try to find a person who is comfortable with the areas of money and tax and doesn’t easily get overwhelmed by paperwork. Since the role of estate executor can be an intense issue that takes a great amount of time, the person you choose ideally will be retired or have the bandwidth to dedicate the substantial time commitment required to do the job properly.

Based on the complexity of the assets in the estate—and the amount of planning the deceased has done to make the job a little bit easier—the winding up of an estate can take more than a year. If the assets must be probated, you’ll want the person you appoint to understand the process and liability that she’s accepting. There are multiple tax returns and filings that must be completed and filed at specific times.

There are banks that offer trust services, but these can be expensive and will take a chunk out of the estate in fees, until the last tax filing is completed. An attorney is also a good choice, but not many lawyers will take on the liability and have the time to act as an executor.

Many people ask a family member who’s either performed these duties in the past or is willing and knowledgeable enough to do things in a conscientious manner and follow through. Remember, the more estate planning that’s done in advance, the easier it makes it for an executor.

Another option is to have two or more adult children act as an executor. However, this can add some complexity to the process, because first they have to both be in agreement on every issue; second, they must both be available to make decisions and sign documents at the same time. These days you can have siblings living from Maine to Oregon, and people can travel all over the world at any time.

Make sure the person you’re considering is aware of not only your thoughts but also of the time commitment and process involved. An executor—unhappy with their role—can ask the court to remove them. However, this can result in the estate being tied up for a long time.

Reference: MoneySense (March 27, 2019) “Should the sole recipient of an estate be the executor too?”