What Makes a Good Executor, and Should They Also Be a Beneficiary?

Your executor is the person who manages your estate when you pass away, and who decides what happens, including in relation to any disputes between beneficiaries. Getting the right person in that role matters, particularly if there are any foreseeable disputes down the track.

What makes a good executor? First and foremost, it needs to be someone you trust to take on that important role. They will be carrying out your wishes and administering the estate, so they need to be someone who can comply with the terms of your will and ensure your wishes and requirements are all met.

Should your executor also be a beneficiary? It is actually very common. Parents will often nominate each other, and then, on the second parent passing, the children are frequently both the beneficiaries and the executors. It is often less complicated when all of the beneficiaries are also executors, as everyone is then in that important role of making decisions for the estate together.

Can it be complicated where just one child, out of several, acts as executor? Potentially, though it really comes down to the relationship the beneficiaries and siblings have with one another. None of us has a crystal ball.

We have prepared this article to share general information. For personal advice, book a consultation with our team.