DO NOW
Work that appears to deserve attention soon after you confirm the relevant facts.
EXECUTOR DESK
Get the estate work organized.
You Were Named Executor. What Should You Do First?
You don’t need to understand the entire estate today. You need a way to protect what needs attention, gather what you know, keep track of what’s unresolved and know where the next reliable answer will come from.
START WITH STABILIZATION
The first goal is not finishing the estate.
Begin by identifying what may need attention, gathering the records already available and writing down open questions. A checklist tells you what exists. Executor Desk helps you keep track of the work.
Record facts before drawing conclusions. Institution-specific procedures should come from the institution, and jurisdiction-dependent rules should be checked against current official sources before acting.
THE FOUR WORK STATES
Give every open item a clear status.
NEXT
Important work that can follow once the immediate situation is steadier.
WAITING
An answer, document, callback or action is expected from someone else.
NEED TO CHECK
A question remains open until a reliable source or qualified professional helps verify it.
OPERATING PRINCIPLE
Record first. Classify after verification.
USE RELIABLE SOURCES
Professional help is part of the system.
Executor Desk doesn’t replace your attorney, accountant, court or financial institution. It gives you somewhere to organize the work between those conversations.
Ask each institution about its own procedures. Check jurisdiction-dependent questions using current official sources, and bring organized facts and open questions to qualified professionals when judgment is needed.
THE FIRST 30 DAYS AS EXECUTOR