Estate Administration

For many Canadians, serving as executor for a loved one or friend’s estate is an honour.  Most people are unaware of the extent of the executor’s legal duties.  As an executor in Nova Scotia, you incur legal liability to ensure that the deceased wishes are carried out and this includes obligations to beneficiaries and creditors of the Estate.  Ensuring the Estate is properly probated and advertised is a key to ensuring that your duties as an executor are fulfilled and you minimize your chances of incurring legal liability in relation to acting as an executor in Nova Scotia.

At Allen Law Inc., we have acted as Proctors for estates (advisors to executors that ensure the estate is administered properly).  We are happy to meet with you to discuss your executorship and provide necessary advice to ensure you are able to succeed in this important role.

Hopefully, you have been given a copy of any Will in which you are named executor and provided instructions as to where the original would be located. If not, it would be worthwhile to check the deceased home and contact the deceased’s bank to see if there was a safety deposit box. Contacting the office of the lawyer who drafted the Will is also a good start. To look in a bank safety deposit box, you will need to contact the bank to make an appointment and provide a copy of a death certificate. The bank official can look in the safety deposit box to see if there is a Will in which you are named executor. If so, the bank will let you take the Will and you should proceed to your lawyer’s office to take the next step, namely, probating the Will and getting advice to ensure that you properly fulfill your legal obligations as executor.

At Allen Law Inc., we have acted as Proctors for estates (advisors to executors that ensure the estate is administered properly).  We are happy to meet with you to discuss your executorship and provide necessary advice to ensure you are able to succeed in this important role.