You may also have responsibility to act as executor for decedent’s estate if you are a spouse, a son or daughter. While it may be practical to say that everyone needs to make a will, put their ‘final arrangements’ in writing and leave instructions for heirs, I’m sure it wouldn’t surprise us to learn that many people do not take this sensible approach. Consequently, after they die, their family members and friends proceed in a state of semi-confusion trying to wrap up decedent’s affairs.

If you are an executor and find yourself in a similar situation, take heart. There are now more options available to you than running off to lawyer’s office. You have option to hire a lawyer to act as a coach and have him answer your legal questions, do some research and review legal paperwork before submitting them to court or mailing them. Other options include hiring a document preparation service, like DocuPrepUSA, to prepare probate paperwork and myriad of correspondence needed to wrap up decedent’s affairs. If you are do-it-yourself kind, you can also consult some books written for non-lawyers.

The Executor's Handbook, by Theodore E. Hughes and David Klein (Facts On File) is a general but useful guide to an executor's duties. How to Settle an Estate, by Charles K. Plotnick and Stephan R. Leimberg (Plume) also has general coverage of executor's duties, but emphasis is on financial issues. So review your options carefully, and if you choose wisely, you will save yourself and your family a lot of unnecessary expense.

There are many ways to establish your assets prior to death that would help your family avoid expense of probate. First and foremost, it will be executor’s task to decide whether probate court proceedings are needed. However, probate is an entirely different matter that needs to be address in another article. Let’s look at some of duties we may not be familiar with that are undertaken by an executor.

Giving Notice

Usually Funeral Director orders as many certified copies of death certificate as you request. Sometimes, they even notify Social Security Administration too.

Here is a list of institutions that executor needs to contact in order to learn whether they want certified copies of death certificate:

a.) Every insurance company that insured decedent (life, health, auto, home) b.) Decedent’s pension fund c.) Each credit card company used by decedent d.) Every financial institution (banks, brokers) e.) Government agencies (Social Security, IRS, Medicare, Veterans Affairs) f.) Title company that insured decedent’s real estate

You can usually order extra copies of death certificate from bureau of vital statistics in your state. If decedent owned property in another state, then a death certificate may need to be recorded in county where that property is located. In many states, death certificate is recorded along with deed of transfer.

Other Duties

1) Name brand and model of television(s) in your house or apartment. 2) How much did your computer cost, and where did you purchase it? 3) What is serial number on your camera?

Could you answer those questions without looking? Now imagine how difficult it would be to come up with this information for ALL of your belongings while dealing with stress of a fire, burglary, or natural disaster. In such a case, you may spend countless hours trying to remember everything only to realize what you forgot after your claim has been processed. You might not even be able to produce required proof for claim to be accepted.

How can a home inventory help?

In unfortunate event of a major loss, your insurance company will need a lot of information to process your claim. If you’ve already created a home inventory, this process will be much easier and should be completed faster. Otherwise, you might not be able to account for everything, and if you’re unable to provide required information, you may receive less than full compensation for your loss.

Also, depending on your situation and tax laws where you live, this information may also be required for a tax credit.

And finally, if you file a police report for stolen items, having model number and serial number will improve your odds for recovering stolen property.

What you’ll need to start

Although you could pay a service company to come in to your house to conduct a home inventory, many people do it themselves using either a home inventory booklet, or a software program for recording their home inventory. Some people also include photographs, digital pictures, or video tape.

Whichever you decide, you’re going to need to record following information about each item:

•Description •Brand/Model •Serial Number •Condition

In addition, you’ll need to record information about value of each item. Depending on whether your insurance company pays claims based on “replacement value” or “current value”, you’ll need to record details such as:

•Purchase Price •Replacement Cost •Current Value •When/Where purchased