Executor and Trustee Support Services

Guiding those settling a loved one’s estate or trust

“My parents recently passed away and it’s my job to make sense of their estate documents, pay debts, distribute property, and deal with family members. I’ve never done this before and worry that I’ll miss something important.”

You’re already going through a big loss. Maybe you were very close to your parent or maybe you were estranged. Either way, you are now suddenly in charge of executing their will and/or trust and distributing the estate. Paying bills, distributing assets, and a host of other activities need to be done.

You don’t have to deal with this by yourself. Let us help guide you with our Executor and Trustee Support Services.

We can get through this, together.

Service Options How We Work Let's Get Started

Service Options

Service options include the following (click on links to view details):

The First Few Months Service
Summarizing Estate Property and Debts Service
Detailing Estate Income and Expenses Service

The First Few Months Service

There is a lot to do in the first few months as an executor/trustee. Get organized and reduce your stress (and the stress of the estate beneficiaries).

We guide you through the process of…

Understanding your legal obligations
Sorting through and organizing key documents and information
Setting up an effective filing system
Obtaining death certificates
Finding and filing the will (if applicable)
Locating the trust (if applicable)
Getting a taxpayer ID number for the estate or trust
Getting property in your name as trustee (if applicable)
Identifying and notifying…
- Beneficiaries and heirs
- Federal, state, and county agencies
- Service providers
- Membership organizations
- Social media and email
- Charities and other organizations
Communicating regularly with beneficiaries and other stakeholders
Documenting key decisions and discussions
Tracking action items
Getting additional help when needed (taxes, accounting, investing, appraisals, legal advice, trust accounting, real estate maintenance, mediation)

The First Few Months Service includes:

Weekly consultation / coaching with your Stewardship Coach for up to 2 months (in person or remote)
File system and supplies (file box, file folders, file labels for 30 estate topics, and folder hangers)
- Sample file topics include: Appraisals, Bank Account – Estate, Bank Accounts – Personal, Bills – Paid, Bills – Unpaid, Contact Information, Correspondence with Beneficiaries, Death Certificates, Employment, Family Facts, Photos, and Historical Documents, Funeral and Cremation or Burial, Income Tax Returns – Estate, and much more
Action item log template
Decision log template
Communication journal template
Stakeholder list and contact information template
Online client collaboration portal

Summarizing Estate Property and Debts Service

Finding and summarizing all of the estate assets, debts, title information, values, and appraisals can get messy real fast. Follow our step-by-step process to quickly organize and track estate property from beginning to end.

We guide you through the process of…

Identifying and documenting estate property and debts
Tracking down and summarizing how each asset was owned (titled)
Determining which assets are subject to the terms of a trust and/or will
Finding out which property may be subject to probate
Assigning dollar values to estate property
Understanding which property should be appraised and why
Gathering and organizing key documents (title, bank statements, loan documents, appraisals, transfer documents, etc.)
Claiming life insurance, Social Security, retirement plans, and other assets outside of a trust
Documenting when, to whom, and how property is transferred to beneficiaries
Tracking action items and decisions (with rationale)
Getting additional help when needed (taxes, accounting, investing, appraisals, legal advice, trust accounting, real estate maintenance, mediation)

The Estate Property and Debts Service includes:

Weekly consultation / coaching with your Stewardship Coach for 1 month (in person or remote)
Estate Property Organizer
- Property worksheet
- Supplies (binder, dividers, document pouches, and thumb drive)
- Action item log template
- Decision log template
Online client collaboration portal
Executor reference textbook – over 500 pages in length (optional)
Trustee reference textbook – almost 400 pages in length (optional)

Detailing Estate Income and Expenses Service

Identifying and tracking estate income and expenses can be overwhelming. Lots of questions come up in this area. Here are a few that need to be addressed:

What are the estate’s income sources? How should they be managed?
Which bills should have priority? Which ones should be delayed, and why?
Which recurring bills should be terminated quickly? Which ones should continue until the very end, and why?
How should bills be paid?
And more questions!

We can help. We guide you through the process of…

Searching for and summarizing income sources
Setting up an estate or trust bank account
Receiving estate income
Identifying and prioritizing bills
Creating an expense phase-out plan
Establishing a record-keeping system
Paying bills, debts, and claims
Getting additional help when needed (taxes, accounting, investing, appraisals, legal advice, trust accounting, real estate maintenance, mediation)

The Detailing Estate Income and Expenses Service includes:

Weekly consultation / coaching with your Stewardship Coach for up to 2 months (in person or remote)
Estate Income / Expense Organizer
- Income and expense summary worksheet (with expense phase-out plan)
- Supplies (binder, dividers, document pouches, and thumb drive)
- Action item log template
- Decision log template
Envelope binder with tabs for bills
- To be paid
- Paid invoices / receipts
Online client collaboration portal
Executor reference textbook – over 500 pages in length (optional)
Trustee reference textbook – almost 400 pages in length (optional)

Documentation Service

We can help you track action items and document:

Key decisions and discussions
Communication with beneficiaries, service providers, and Federal, state, county agencies
Estate property and debts summary
Estate income and expenses details.

Documentation service hours are estimated based on initial discussions with you. Additional hours can be purchased as needed.

How We Work Together

You may wonder what it’s like working together with Family Stewardship Services. Below is a general framework that we use:

Initial Consultation
During your initial consultation with us, we find out more about your needs and you find out more about our services and availability. During this meeting, or afterwards, you decide if our services are a fit for you.

When you choose to engage us in Executor and Trustee Support Services, we will coordinate our calendars, schedule your coaching sessions, set up your online client portal, and send you supplies relating to your service(s). Then we’ll meet to help you on your way to being a confident and equipped executor/trustee.

Let’s get started

Let's Get Started