What is an Executor?

An executor is the person named in the will to manage the decedent’s estate.  The executor is in charge of the estate administration process – i.e. doing the four things that must be done in every estate: collecting the assets, paying the expenses, paying the taxes and paying the beneficiaries.  There can be two people named to share the job as executor – referred to as co-executors. Co-executors have things a little difficult because they must do everything together – the law does not allow for one co-executor to act independently of the other one.