February 19, 2021

If a loved one, such as a sibling or a parent passes away and you are the beneficiary of that estate, it is natural to have plenty of questions about how various estate actions can impact you.

An executor will need to be appointed to manage the administration of the estate. The executor plays numerous different important roles in administering this estate including the process of identifying and cataloging all of the assets in the estate.

An executor is said to have a fiduciary responsibility to the beneficiaries of the entire estate. This means that they need to approach each aspect of their job with due diligence, document things clearly, and avoid any self-dealing or activities that benefit them and not the other beneficiaries. It could be very problematic for other beneficiaries like siblings to realize that the person appointed as executor has taken questionable actions or failed to account for different things they have done. 

Bear in mind though that they can be filled with conflict when a family member questions how an estate is managed by another relative. You are entitled, however, as the beneficiary of an estate to an accounting of the assets, expenses, income, liabilities and distributions of the estate. You will want to speak with an experienced probate dispute attorney if you find yourself in this situation.