I recently came across this poem written by Edgar A. Guest which sums up the difficulties Executors of estates often face, whilst the Executor feels a sense of duty to the deceased having been appointed as the person in charge of the deceased estate; the Executor is often criticized by the beneficiaries of the estate.
The Executor
I had a friend who died and he,
On earth so loved and trusted me,
That ere he quit this earthly shore,
He made me his executor.
He tasked me through my natural life,
To guard the interests of his wife,
To see that everything was done,
Both for his daughter and his son.
I have his money to invest,
And though I try my level best,
To do that wisely, I’m advised,
My judgment oft is criticized.
His widow once so calm and meek,
Comes, hot with rage, three times a week,
And rails at me, because I must,
To keep my oath appear unjust.
His children hate the sight of me,
Although their friend I’ve tried to be,
And every relative declares,
I interfere with his affairs.
Now when I die I’ll never ask,
A friend to carry such a task,
I’ll spare him all such anguish sore,
And leave a hired executor.
Edgar A. Guest, Today and Tomorrow (Chicago: Reilly & Lee Company, 1942)
What is an executor and what does one have to do if appointed?
An Executor is the person named in a will appointed to attend to administration of a deceased person’s estate. There may be more than one person appointed to act as Executor.
An Executor may be responsible for organising the deceased’s funeral. The Executor should locate the original will and other important papers. The Executor should also locate and contact the beneficiaries named in the Will and inform them of their entitlements under the Will.
We can help
For more information on the role of an executor or if you need assistance if you have been named in a person’s will contact our Wills and Estates Lawyers on (07) 3025 9000 or via our content us form. Alternatively visit us at any of our Queensland offices in Brisbane, Logan, North Lakes, Ipswich, Toowoomba, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Cairns.
Get to know our Wills and Estates solicitor
Jenna Hutchinson is employed as a Senior Associate in Turner Freeman’s Brisbane office. Over the past 2 years, Jenna has worked exclusively in the area of Succession Law as this is where her passion lies.
Jenna always strives to do the best she can for her clients to ensure that their wishes are adhered to, as well as tries to achieve the best outcome for her clients if they have been unfairly left out of a Will. She is also experienced in defending the Estate against complex claims.