What Does A Personal Representative Do?

A personal representative is assigned to deal with and be held accountable for the assets of the decedent, with the help of the courts and other professionals such as accountants and lawyers.

The personal representative will be responsible for all aspects of the estate, and duties include:

• Determining the assets and estate left by the decedent and forming an inventory of the assets
• Deal with any valuations required on any of the assets left by the decedent
• Opening a bank account through which any financial dealing pertaining to the estate can be dealt.
• Ensure that any payments that are due to the estate are received (such as insurance dividends, salaries, any other income)
• Checking whether the decedent had any insurance policies that are t be paid out, and providing the necessary paperwork and details to the insurers to ensure that the money due is paid to the estate.
• Getting in touch with the employer or former employer of the decedent to check whether there are any monies due to the estate in terms of unpaid salary, benefits or insurance policies.
• Looking in to and taking responsibility for any legal action in which the decedent was involved at the time of death.
• Determine which beneficiary gets what from the estate left by the decedent
• Determine whether the decedent had an liabilities, and if so contact the creditors to give them notice to make their claim from the estate
• Check the validity of any claims made against the estate of the decedent
• Ensure that all valid claims are paid from the estate of the decedent, including funeral bills and outstanding taxes as well as other liabilities to other creditors and administration costs associated with disbursement of the estate
• Ensuring that relevant authorities and organizations are informed of the person’s death (e.g. landlords, utility companies, social security etc.)
• Ensuring that the assets and property of the decedent are kept in a good state of repair until they are disbursed to the rightful beneficiaries
• Ensure that the remainder of the estate is distributed in accordance with the wishes of the decedent.
• The job assigned to the personal representative can often be a complex one, and they are responsible for all aspects of the will from valuations and inventories to disbursement and claims made against the estate.

The personal representative has to take control of all of the assets belonging to the decedent so that the estate can be properly and legally dealt with.

All About Wills

What If Someone Contests a Will?
What Warrants a Valid Will Contest?

What Are the Legal Requirements for a Will?

What is Probate?

Is Probate Necessary?

Can Probate be Handled Without Using the Services of an Experienced Probate Lawyer?

Who is Responsible for Handling the Probate Process?

What Does the Personal Representative Do?

Does the Personal Representative Get Paid?

What If a Personal Representative Does Not Perform Their Duties Properly?