What is the role of an executor?

An executor (Testamentsvollstrecker) is a person appointed by will to manage and distribute the estate according to the testator’s instructions and in the beneficiaries’ best interests.

An executor is the person named in a will to manage the deceased’s estate, pay debts and taxes, and distribute assets to beneficiaries according to the will.

An executor is a person named in a will to administer the deceased's estate, collect assets, pay debts and taxes, and distribute remaining property to beneficiaries as directed by the will.

You appoint an executor by naming them clearly in your will, which must be signed in the presence of two witnesses who also sign it in your presence — as required by the Wills Act 1837.

In California, an executor must manage the estate, pay debts and taxes, distribute assets to beneficiaries, and file required court reports. Compensation is set by statute: 4% of the first $100,000, 3% of the next $100,000, 2% of the next $800,000, and so on.

In New York, an executor’s commission is a statutory fee based on the value of the estate’s assets, calculated on a sliding scale: 5% on the first $100,000, 4% on the next $200,000, 3% on the next $700,000, 2.5% on the next $4,000,000, and 2% on any excess.