THE BENEFICIARIES:

 

She wrote her will within a year after Rob passed away and I am executing that will some nine years later. It has never been revised. Consequences are suffered as a result.

The calls from beneficiaries who want their money are coming on a fairly regular basis. I hear from one particular relative frequently and his calls are getting desperate. I discover, later, that he called the lawyer and expressed suspicions that I may be misusing funds and he is not going to get his money. Another relative has called a couple of times, insisting that they be told ‘my cut’. (Atkinson, 2012)

Dealing with beneficiaries can be complicated. In this particular case, many of those receiving money were relatives of Rob in some capacity, and knew Emily only in a vague and general way. It is certainly not unreasonable to suggest that receiving their generous financial bequests was their overall priority. Challenges with the beneficiaries stem mainly from how the will was written. There is no contact information. There is also a trust to be established and administered by the executor and this trust could well outlive her. Alternate arrangements are required. The purpose of this chapter is to lift the veil of secrecy surrounding bequests and show the reader how things can be better streamlined. Asking the hard questions at the time of taking on the role of executor is paramount in avoiding complications after a death.