I'm just at the tail end of a 1.5 year process of being executor/POA for a loved one. I hope I never have to do this again, but know I've already been named by another family member in her will.
Here is my take-use a lawyer. It's hard enough, and drawn-out enough when everything IS done right, and a proper will IS in place. In my case (and in allot of others I'm sure) you probably want to always engage professionals for anything tied to a person's affairs after they pass. (accountants for tax stuff and dealing with the government for clearance certificate application, lawyers for all the things they're overpaid for, etc.) If the person who passed had investments that kept earning in the calendar year after they passed, a tax return must be filed for THAT calendar year. All of this fun kicks-off while you're neck-deep in grief. It isn't what I expected when I said "sure!" decades ago, but I was naive. I still would have said yes, but I might have been better prepared when the time came too.
Really, it's a time to consider how difficult/easy you want to make it for the person tending to your affairs-to be perfectly blunt about it. My wife and I are about to put those words in to action ourselves, I was reminded that there are people named on ours (benficiarys) who died over 10 years ago, so very mucn NOT up to date. Pains me to spend $ on this too, but personally I think you pay now to smooth the way.
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