Using EstateExec

If you are using EstateExec to make things easier for the eventual executor of your own estate, just follow the Advance tasks on the Tasks Tab (if you haven't already chosen an executor, you may want to take a look at Choosing an Executor).

When going through the Advance tasks, you will fundamentally...

1. Enter Personal Info: Fill out some basic information about yourself (e.g., birthdate, legal address, etc.) on the Decedent Tab. Upload any funeral wishes or plans you may have made, so they can be quickly and easily found by your executor. You may also wish to upload a copy of your will on this tab for convenience, but keep in mind that your executor will also need access to an original signed version.
2. Assets and Debts: List key assets and likely debts, (but don't bother getting too detailed since things can change over time).
3. Contacts: Enter information about important contacts for your executor (e.g., relatives, lawyer, accountant, etc.). In particular, be sure to populate the Heirs Tab.
4. Other Information: Provide information about other items the executor may find helpful, such as memberships that need to be cancelled, service providers, locations of keys and combinations, etc.
5. File Attachments: You can attach files (documents, photos, whatever) to pretty much anything within EstateExec (e.g., assets, contacts, the overall estate itself, ...). Used judiciously, these attachments can be very helpful, but there's no need to upload photos of everything!
6. Inform Your Executor: Tell your executor about EstateExec, and either use the Estate | Share menu to give access now, or store your login credentials somewhere your executor will know to look (such as with your will).
7. And Then: That's pretty much it. EstateExec exists to make your estate settlement easier, and that doesn't mean we want you to have to do a lot of work in advance, either. When the time comes, your executor will be able to use EstateExec to follow step-by-step instructions to manage and settle your estate.

If you are serving as the executor for someone who has passed away, or are in the processing of becoming such an executor, we recommend...

1. Learn about Your Role: Start by learning about the executor role (duties, effort involved, etc.);  you may also want to learn more about the estate settlement process in general.
2. Enter Decedent Info: Fill out some basic information about the departed estate owner (e.g., date of death, legal address, etc.)
3. Save All: Click the Save All button in the top right to save your work. If you have Autosave turned on, it will periodically save your work even if you don't explicitly do so. The Save All button is only active if you have unsaved changes. See Save or Cancel Edits for more information.
4. Follow the Tasks: The Tasks Tab will walk you through the steps you need to settle the estate. Click on each task in turn, decide whether it is applicable for the estate, and if so begin working on the task. Some tasks will be relatively easy and quick, while others may take months. You do not need to finish one task to start the next, but if you do at least read them in order you will find things relatively straightforward.
5. And Then: While we could list further things to do, that's really the purpose of the Tasks list... just start going through them!  If you really want other things to do, try listing a few assets, and skimming through more of the EstateExec Reference manual to learn more of its capabilities (including bank transaction download, accounting reports, and more). The Using Tables topic is especially helpful, as EstateExec tables can do quite a bit you might not realize otherwise.

If you will be the executor for someone who is still living, for now you can just follow the Advance tasks on the Tasks Tab. Fundamentally, you will...

1. Learn about Your Role: Start by learning about the executor role, and key steps you can take in advance to make the eventual estate settlement easier.
2. Enter Information about Estate Owner: Fill out some basic information about the estate owner (e.g., birthdate, legal address, etc.), and attach any information you may have about funeral wishes or prepaid funeral plans.
3. Key Assets and Debts: List key assets and likely debts (but don't bother getting too detailed since things can change over time).
4. Contacts: Enter information about important contacts for the estate (e.g., estate owner's accountant, lawyer, etc.). Be sure to populate the Heirs Tab as well.
5. Other Key Information: Collect information about other items the estate owner thinks you may find helpful, such as memberships that need to be cancelled, service providers, locations of keys and combinations, etc.
6. File Attachments: You can attach files (documents, photos, whatever) to pretty much anything within EstateExec (e.g., assets, contacts, the overall estate itself, ...). Used judiciously, these attachments can be very helpful, but there's no need to upload photos of everything!
7. And Then: That's pretty much it. EstateExec exists to make your estate settlement easier, and that doesn't mean we want you to have to do a lot of work in advance, either.

When the estate owner passes away, the Tasks Tab will then walk you through the steps you need to settle the estate. You might want to take a look at a few of the settlement tasks, now, just to get a feel for things... you'll find that some EstateExec tasks describe fairly general yet important steps, while others include links to required forms, perform financial calculations, provide optional discounts on related third-party services, and give additional detailed assistance. When the time comes, just work your way through the list.

If you are a lawyer, accountant, fiduciary, or other professional familiar with the estate settlement process (for trusts, see instead the Trust Administrator section below), you may be most interested in the accounting aspects of EstateExec — but you may still find it useful to go through the tasks on the Tasks Tab, as they will gradually introduce you to the various aspects of EstateExec.

Moreover, even though you may be familiar with estate settlement and not necessarily need the prompting of EstateExec tasks, you may still find it useful to have quick access to the latest statutes concerning family entitlements, executor fees (including automated calculation), etc. And if you are working together with other professionals (or even a client), the ability to assign tasks and check on status may prove useful.

If you do end up using the Tasks Tab, as a professional you will likely prefer the List View (as opposed to Wizard View), so you can see them all at once and dynamically work with whatever task is relevant at the moment.

Tasks Tab aside, we recommend...

1. Decedent Info: Optionally start by filling out some basic information concerning the departed estate owner (e.g., date of death, legal address, etc.). If the estate owner is still living, skip the rest of this section and instead see the Estate Owner section above.
2. Save All: Click the Save All button in the top right to save your work. If you have Autosave turned on, it will periodically save your work even if you don't explicitly do so. The Save All button is only active if you have unsaved changes. See Save or Cancel Edits for more information.
3. List Assets and Debts: You can list assets on the Assets Tab (see Enter Asset for details, and note that you can import directly from a spreadsheet if you happen to have one). Similarly, list estate debts on the Debts Tab
4. File Attachments: You can attach files (documents, photos, whatever) to pretty much anything within EstateExec (e.g., assets, contacts, transactions, ...).
5. List Beneficiaries: List the beneficiaries of the estate on the Heirs Tab (see Define Heirs for details).
   To keep things simple, EstateExec uses a core set of terms to cover generally equivalent items (e.g., using "heir" to include "devisee" and "beneficiary", or "executor" to include "personal representative" and "trustee"), and will normally mention when there are important differences.
6. Track Transactions: As the estate generates income, incurs expenses, or you make asset changes, record these on the Cashflow Tab (see Manage Estate Transactions). If the executor incurs out-of-pocket expenses for which he or she expects eventual reimbursement, you can track these on the Executor Expenses Tab.
7. Generate Financial Reports: You can use the View | Reports to generate desired reports such as Inventory as of a given time, or Accounting for a given time period (see Print Reports).
8. Advanced Features: You may also be interested in learning more about advanced EstateExec features, such as Bank Transaction Download and Using EstatExec Tables. You can learn about these and more within the EstateExec Reference Manual.
9. Professional Perks: Note that as a professional, you qualify for volume discounts, and an estates dashboard which lets you see all your estates at a glance, and provides some additional controls. Contact Support@EstateExec.com for access.

If you are using EstateExec to administer a trust...

1. Set Trustee Role: If you did not already set your role to "Managing a Trust" during the Quick Start Wizard, let EstateExec know that this is a trust by clicking the trust checkbox at the bottom of the Overview Tab.
2. List Assets: Start by listing trust assets on the Assets Tab (see Enter Asset for details).
3. File Attachments: You can attach files (documents, photos, whatever) to pretty much anything within EstateExec (e.g., assets, contacts, transactions, ...). Used judiciously, these attachments can be very helpful, but there's no need to upload photos of everything!
4. List Beneficiaries: List the beneficiaries of the trust on the Heirs Tab (see Define Heirs for details).
   To keep things simple, EstateExec uses a core set of terms to cover generally equivalent items (e.g. using "heir" to include "devisee" and "beneficiary", or "executor" to include "personal representative" and "trustee"), and will normally mention when there are important differences.
5. Track Transactions: As the trust generates income, incurs expenses, or you make asset changes, record these on the Cashflow Tab (see Manage Estate Transactions).
6. Tasks: You may want to look at the Tasks Tab. Tasks are generally estate-centric, but there are some that are specific to trusts, and some that apply to both estates and trusts.
7. Generate Accounting Reports: You can use the View | Reports to generate desired reports such as Inventory as of a given time, or Accounting for a given time period (see Print Reports).