Estate planning is a complicated process with many issues to consider. One key issue is who will serve as the executor of the estate. So when you consider this issue, keep the following in mind.

Process Familiarity & Knowledge
Is your executor familiar enough with the estate distribution process to do a good job? Your executor should have knowledge of the estate dispersal process, its basic language, the roles of the various parties involved and the timeline of events. You should also make sure your executor has access to an attorney and/or CPA like Talley & Company for questions he or she may have.

Desirable Geographic Location
Does your executor live close enough to involved parties to perform the necessary duties? Since estate dispersal involves many meetings with bankers, CPAs, creditors and family members, it is important to ensure your executor will be able to attend all meetings without too much travel and expense. This will help the process move along more quickly and will spare your estate the expense of unnecessary travel.

Availability of Time to Attend to Process
Does your executor choice have time to handle your estate? Meetings with involved parties, paperwork and dispute resolution can be quite time consuming. Make sure your executor has adequate time to take care of your estate properly and will be in a conducive life situation down the road as well.

Conflicts of Interest or Biases
Will there be any conflicts of interest for your pick? If your executor is a family member, it is smart to choose someone for whom there will be the least chance of conflicts of interest. Handling the distribution of an estate within the family is difficult enough by itself, let alone if there exists cries of unfairness or bias.

Family Strife
Will your choice of an executor cause any additional family strife? As we discuss above regarding conflicts of interest, so too should you avoid causing additional family strife with your executor choice. If other family members have any trust issues or misgivings regarding a particular person, it is wise to avoid exacerbating the problem by placing on him or her such a large burden as estate executor.

Suitable Backup
Do you have a backup? Since your executor may be unable or unwilling to perform his or her duties, you should name a backup. Without a backup, the court will likely name an executor.

Executor Compensation
How much will you pay your executor? Figure this one out up front and get it in writing. Some states have guidelines for executor pay and some do not.

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