Guide to Personal Representatives
A “personal representative” is someone who administers an estate of someone who has died. In other jurisdictions, they are known by the terms “administrator” or “executor” or “administratrix” or executrix”.
Personal representatives take on a lot of responsibility in their role. You should take care in who you designate to be your personal representative. Some things to keep in mind are:
At least 18 Years Old: This is required by statute
Trustworthy: The personal representative has a lot of responsibility and self initiative. They should be someone that the other beneficiaries will trust to do their role honestly.
Willing: Make sure the person you designate to be personal representative will be willing to do the job. It's a lot of work, not everyone wants to do it.
Able: The personal representative needs to be able to be organized to complete the many tasks assigned to them. Also, they must have capacity to do the job. It is not egregious what needs to be done, but if the designated personal representative has two jobs and five kids, maybe someone else would be a better designee.
If you have questions about personal representatives in what they do or how to choose one, please feel free to contact Signature Law for a free consultation.