The First-Time Executor's Quick-Start Guide (Paperback)

Paperback. You've just been named executor, and you don't know what to do first. This is the book that tells you.The First-Time Executor's Quick-Start Guide walks you through settling an estate one step at a time, in plain English, for people with no legal background who suddenly have to get it right. From the paperwork of the first two weeks to the final accounting that closes the estate, it lays out the sequence in the order you actually face it.Inside: The first two weeks: death certificates, securing the home, and what may be paid now versus what must waitWhether you even need full probate, and when a small-estate affidavit is enoughOpening the estate: the court process, filing, timelines, and the estate bank account that protects youBuilding the inventory and valuing assets as of the date of deathCreditors and notices: the claims window, which debts get paid first, and the personal-liability line every executor must respectKeeping the estate alive: insurance, utilities, and the maintenance traps that quietly cost estates moneyTaxes without terror, selling and retitling property, and communicating with the familyClosing the estate: the final accounting, receipts and releases, and how you know it is truly doneSpecial cases: no will, insolvent estates, out-of-state property, and declining the roleA quick-start guide, not a legal treatise: short chapters you can read at the kitchen table the week you need them, with the checklists and logs assembled into one Executor's File you can actually use.This book is general information, not legal advice. When a decision carries real risk, it tells you plainly to get a lawyer for that one piece. This item is printed on demand. Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability.…