Lasting Legacy​
​A practical guide to thinking clearly before you have to think urgently.

Choosing an executor is hard. Being one is harder.

Pam's Story

Before Jon passed, I knew there would be things to take care of.

I just did not understand how many.

There are the big things you expect. The legal documents. The accounts. The decisions that clearly need to be made.

Then there are a hundred smaller things you never thought about.

Phone calls.
Forms.
Questions.
Signatures.
People who need copies of something.
People who need an answer you do not have yet.

And all of it happens while life has changed in a way you are still trying to understand.

That is the part I think we sometimes miss when we ask someone to take responsibility for our affairs.

We think about whether they are capable.

We think about whether we trust them.

But we do not always think about what we are actually asking them to carry.

If you love someone enough to trust them with that responsibility, you should love them enough to make the responsibility a little easier.

“The greatest gift you can give the person handling your affairs is fewer things they have to figure out alone.”

Cam’s Perspective

Naming an executor can feel like checking a box. You choose someone responsible, put their name in the document, and move on to the next decision.

But an executor is not simply the person who distributes what you leave behind. Depending on the circumstances, that person may need to locate and protect assets, communicate with beneficiaries, work with attorneys and accountants, handle outstanding bills and expenses, deal with property, file necessary paperwork, and eventually oversee distributions.

Some estates are relatively straightforward. Others can take considerable time and involve decisions the executor has never encountered before.

There is also a human side to the role. The executor may be communicating with siblings, children, a surviving spouse, or other beneficiaries who are grieving too. Even ordinary administrative decisions can become emotional when family, money, and loss intersect.

This is why choosing an executor should involve more than asking, “Who do I trust?”

You should also consider whether the person has the time, temperament, organization, and willingness to do the job. Sometimes the person you trust most is not necessarily the person best suited for the role.

And once you choose someone, tell them.

Give them an opportunity to understand what you are asking and, importantly, an opportunity to say no.

Practical Reflection

Take a look at the person currently named as executor in your estate plan.

Then consider a few questions:

• Have I actually told this person they are my executor?
• Do they understand what the role could involve?
• Are they organized and comfortable handling administrative responsibilities?
• Could family dynamics make the role particularly difficult for them?
• Do they know where my important documents and information are located?
• Do they know which professionals they could turn to for help?
• If they could no longer serve, have I named a backup?

Then ask yourself one question that is easy to overlook:

If I were in their position, what would I wish I had prepared for me?

Write down three things you could do now to make their eventual job easier.

Bringing It Together

When we name an executor, we tend to think about trust. And trust absolutely matters.

But there is another side to the decision: responsibility.

The person you choose may someday step into a role they have never held before, during a time when they are dealing with loss themselves. A little preparation on your part can remove unnecessary uncertainty from theirs.

You cannot eliminate every decision they will have to make. You cannot anticipate every complication.

But you can make sure they are not starting from zero.

A thoughtful estate plan does not simply name the person who will handle things when you are gone. It helps prepare them for the day they have to.

With clarity,

Pam and Cam
Lasting Legacy