EXECUTOR
Support

" My partner has passed away.

He/she always attended to the financial matters such as banking arrangements, investments and superannuation.

I am unsure of how everything works.

What do I need to do now to stay in charge of my finances?

Where do I start? "

I need to cover immediate expenses such as funeral costs – where can I source some funds?

How do I ensure the electricity bill is being paid?

How do I pay my bills going forward?

What income sources will I have?

Will financial institutions require Probate?

How do I access bank accounts, shares, property and insurance?

My partner regularly received a pension payment from his/her superannuation fund. What will happen with that?

Will I have to move?

Can I afford to live in the same way as I did before?

I’ve been appointed as executor of the estate, but I don’t have the knowledge or confidence.

The discovery process determines your current situation and immediate needs
What information is readily available about the estate assets and liabilities
Who are the relevant service providers that will need to be contacted
Who is the executor of the estate and who else needs to be involved in the administration
What are we able to do in the interim to ensure your immediate needs are met, and any household bills normally paid from deceased estate bank accounts are understood

We quickly present a detailed action plan in relation to the estate
What are the immediate steps that can be taken for the household to maintain daily living requirements and meet any immediate urgent needs
who needs to be contacted in relation to the estate and when
what needs to be gathered for the service providers
what are the priorities and immediate steps for the estate
what advice is likely to be needed – legal, financial, investment
what is straight-forward
what is more complex
what steps are likely to be subject to obtaining probate or other activities

No two plans are the same
Not all appointed Executors have the experience or the confidence to handle the settlement of an estate
We help the Executor do the job, shortening the learning curve
You may want to do all or part yourself – or you may engage us to do it on your behalf, working with your solicitor, accountant and any other advisors
We will support you to source the information you will need and identify the questions you may need to ask lawyers, accountants or other advisors

We can help you navigate the steps required before estate assets are able to be transferred
The value of the estate typically determines whether probate is required. Banks and other financial institutions rely on probate to confirm entitlement to funds and assets before they are released
Jointly-held assets are more readily able to be transferred
Superannuation funds may not require probate as the fund trustee may already have instruction in the form of a beneficiary nomination, but the fund trustee will have requirements to be met

It helps to have the support of someone who understands the language of a lawyer or accountant or financial planner or the banks and share registries
It helps you to be confident
It helps them do a more effective job for you – saving stress and money
We can help clarify what was said and the practical implications
As your advocate, we can follow-up your advisors as required (or help you to)

We ensure your family, other beneficiaries and other impacted parties are fully involved as required
A Grant of Probate confirms the authority of the executor, enabling the executor to deal with external parties as required to give effect to the instructions in the will
We document what we do and help you to communicate to beneficiaries and maintain the necessary records such as the cost base of shares transferred to beneficiaries

Services

We are not a Tax Agent or Chartered Accounting service. We do not provide legal, financial or investment advice.

We act and liaise as your informed advocate – working with you and your existing relationships – to help you achieve the most effective results.

We support you to source the information you and they need, and identify the questions you may need to ask.