Are you considering appointing one of your children as executor?

On Behalf of | Nov 6, 2019 | Blog

If you had it your way, you would be in charge of any affair you needed handled. You know yourself and your personal matters best, so why would you want anyone else to step in? Of course, a time will come when you are no longer around, and someone will need to settle your final affairs.

In many ways, you can handle your final affairs through your estate plan. You can detail who gets what, how you want specific matters handled and, most importantly, who will be in charge of handling everything. Appointing your executor may be a vital point of estate planning you are keen to address.

Who should you choose?

You undoubtedly want to put a trusted person in charge of handling your remaining estate. If you have adult children, they may be among your first candidates. Of course, you do not want to pick your oldest child simply because he or she is the oldest. You understand the importance of considering various characteristics before putting someone in charge of anything. Some factors to keep in mind include the following:

  • Though a child may have achieved success at work, that fact does not necessarily mean that he or she handles personal matters well or has the ability to handle your personal matters well.
  • Consider whether any of your children is bad with people or likes to antagonize the other siblings. It is important that your executor can interact with various people in any capacity with ease, including his or her siblings.
  • It is important to remember that the most mature child may not necessarily be the oldest. You may have a younger child who has always shown more maturity and responsibility than his or her older siblings.

Choosing the right executor can certainly be a challenging task. If you worry that your children may be upset over who you choose, you may want to discuss the topic with them so that they understand your choice.

Making your choice legally binding

If you have the perfect person in mind to act as your executor and he or she has accepted the role, you need to make sure that your choice is legally binding. You can appoint your chosen executor in your will, and you may want to discuss this appointment with a Nevada attorney to ensure that you have taken the proper steps.