A person who is named the executor of a will in Ohio may be chosen simply because they are a close family member of the person who is drafting the will. It may be something that they want to do for the family members in order to help them, but many executors are not aware of their responsibilities during the probate process.
They may understand the basic responsibility of administering the deceased’s estate, but how that occurs may be something they do not understand.
An executor of a will has different responsibilities at different times throughout the probate process, but overall, their job is to ensure debts are paid and the beneficiaries named in the will receive the property they were promised.
Initial responsibilities of an executor
To do this, the executor of the will needs to first gather and take control of all of the deceased’s personal property and real property. They are also responsible for all money received from the sale of any of the deceased’s property as well as any income that is earned by the various assets of the estate.
Once the property is gathered, the executor needs to inventory all of the estate’s property. The executor needs to complete this within 3 months of being named executor of the will.
The inventory also needs to include the value of all of the estate’s property at the time of the deceased’s death. This means that the executor may also need to have certain properties appraised or valued by various professionals.
An executor in Ohio has a very important job. The will states the wishes of the deceased, including who should receive their property after they pass away. However, without the executor of the will, the wishes of the deceased will not be fulfilled.
It can be a very complicated process, depending on the amount and type of assets that the deceased owned at the time of their death. Experienced attorneys understand the executor’s responsibilities and may be able to provide guidance.