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Heritage Tree LogoWhat Happens When No One Wants to Be an Executor?

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Those who create comprehensive estate plans will appoint an executor to carry out their estate as they would have intended upon their passing. Essentially, the executor’s job is to ensure that the decedent’s estate is distributed properly to beneficiaries. Unfortunately, there are times where individuals do not create estate plans, and therefore, do not appoint executors. However, there are other times where individuals are chosen as executors, though they either are unable to be an executor, or they simply do not want to be one. Please continue reading and speak with our knowledgeable Pennsylvania estate planning attorneys to learn more about what happens when someone does not wish to be the executor of an estate. Here are some of the questions you may have:

What is the job of an executor?

Executors are in charge of ensuring that your assets and your estate are distributed according to your wishes. This is not a particularly easy job, which is why, at times, executors will elect not to perform these duties, although such circumstances are rare. Executors in Pennsylvania are responsible for first collecting their loved one’s assets, and from there, they must protect and preserve those assets until they are distributed amongst beneficiaries. Next, the executor will have to pay off all of the decedent’s estate taces and debts and document each step of the process (and provide this documentation to the courts). Finally, the executor must oversee the distribution of assets and closed their loved one’s estate.

What happens when nobody wants to be the executor of an estate?

When no one wants to take on the role of executor, it can make matters quite complicated. In many cases, the court will then have to select a backup executor. However, if the decedent did not appoint a backup executor and no one else wants to take on the role of executor, the court will take matters into its own hands and appoint the next-best qualified individual to administer the estate. If you have any additional estate administration questions, or you would like to know more about what the job of executor entails, please do not hesitate to give our knowledgeable Pennsylvania firm a call today. We have helped countless individuals through the estate administration process for years, and we are ready to do the same for you.

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