What are the Duties of the Estate Trustee

A Trustee’s duties start immediately upon death. The job is a complex one and can take a year or perhaps longer to complete all the tasks. Some of the duties of a trustee include the following:

Make funeral arrangements
Find the will and determine it is the last will
Retain a lawyer to advise and assist in the administration of the estate
Locate and take control of all assets
Ensure that all property is protected (ensure property is secure, has sufficient insurance and is checked regularly)
Prepare an inventory, value the assets and keep an account
Instructs the lawyer to prepare the documents to apply for a Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee (formerly called Probate)
Open an estate bank account
Deal with debts and claims against the estate
Convert Real Estate holdings to cash
Pay taxes owing by the deceased and the estate
Be accountable to the beneficiaries
Distribute all goods and proceeds to the beneficiaries

The list is even more extensive and there are some great checklists to you help you through the process. Checklist #1 and Checklist #2