A Personal Representative is a person named in a Will to carry out wishes of the decedent. If you are named a Personal Representative in an Estate, you may not know your responsibilities. This can be overwhelming, especially if you have never had to complete the process before. You may encounter responsibilities that you do not understand how to navigate.
Below are a few responsibilities that a Personal Representative will have:
- Obtain the original Will – You will need to locate the original Will from the decedent and file it with the court. If you have trouble locating the Will, it is a good idea to contact the decedent’s attorney who prepared the Will. Make sure you have the most up to date Will.
- Begin the Probate process – The Personal Representative will need to file several legal forms with probate court to begin the probate process. Obtaining an experienced probate attorney will help guide you through this process
- Pay creditor claims – Once the creditors are determined, you will need to pay the decedent’s debts from the estate funds
- Make sure tax returns are filed – You will need to make sure tax returns are filed for the Estate. This includes the Decedent’s personal taxes, if applicable
These are just a few of the responsibilities of a Personal Representative during the probate process. However, the Personal Representative doesn’t have to complete all of this by themselves. A Personal Representative can hire an experienced probate attorney to assist them with the probate process to ensure that all steps are completed accurately and timely.
At DAL Law Firm, attorney Darcel Lobo can sit down with you and go over the duties and responsibilities of a Personal Representative, what the process entails, and answer any questions or concerns you may have. If you, or anyone you know, may need any assistance with being named a Personal Representative, please contact our office at 206-408-8158.
