FAQ

Estate Organization

  • Identify your goals

    • Maybe you have already covered some of the aspects of planning

    • Identify what topics you want to address and prioritize them in order of importance.

    Approach It One Step at a time.

    • Break it down to ensure you can get it done without being overwhelmed

    • Take your top priority on your goals list and break that into smaller pieces             

      (e.g. Aging planning – legal documents, medical history, evaluate aging in place options, meet with senior living facilities, etc.)

    • Then break it down one more layer and make a plan with a timeline

    • Adapt – life happens, things change, priorities change

    Get help

    • At Pathlight, we offer white glove services and coaching

  • Great! You’re ahead of the game. But 20% of wills are never updated. You may need to review your will and make updates. What you wanted when you created it may not be what you want to happen today.

    There are other components to estate preparation such as an aging plan, healthcare considerations, and new conditions that may need to be introduced.

    • More control over your life as you age

    • Get the care you need from the providers you choose

    • More control and less fear of the dying process

    • Feel organized, prepared and confident

    • Leave the legacy you want to your loved ones, not one decided by courts

    • Know how best to honor and care for you

    • Know exactly what you want to happen after you are gone

    • Less time and money administering your estate

    • More time to focus on grief and their love for you

    • May reduce family conflict around your legacy

  • Proper estate organization streamlines the estate for your loved ones, reducing the time and money spent on the settlement process. By going through your estate, wishes, personal belongings and more now, you can eliminate a great deal of stress, confusion and arguments for your family and loved ones. We assist in organizing crucial documents, detailed information on your life, property and belongings to make the estate settlement process significantly more streamlined.

  • An executor's main duty is to administer the estate according to the deceased's wishes, typically as outlined in a will or trust. This involves managing assets, settling debts, and distributing property to beneficiaries.

  • Absolutely. We can help you evaluate your options for relocation, aging in place or other plans. We can also help you plan for your future residence, go through your belongings, decide how to distribute belongings you no longer need, and engage movers, real estate agents, repair specialists and any other services necessary to carry out your wishes. Our aim is to make the process as easy as possible, giving you a single point of contact to orchestrate the change.  

Executor Support

  • The average time to settle an estate is 16 months, but it varies widely.  Complex estates may require significantly more time.

  • Our goal is to handle a significant portion of executor tasks, allowing you to focus on your own personal and professional commitments. To do that, we bring personal focus, knowledge of the process, a network of related service providers, and strong relationship skills. It's up to you how much of the process we handle -- from full support that would reduce your workload by over 2/3 to basic coaching that includes keeping your organized and on task.

  • Executors often dedicate substantial time to their duties. For estates valued between $1 million and $5 million, executors may spend up to 700 hours managing the settlement process - and that doesn't include the time required from lawyers, accountants and tax advisors. Our services aim to significantly reduce this time commitment.

  • We expect this and are prepared to organize what records are available, research missing information and help you navigate the process with the documentation you have.

  • Family conflicts during estate settlement are common. This happens even in families that previously seemed to get along, often due to grief, surprises in the will, and different objectives among family members. While we can't resolve how people respond to a loved one's death nor pre-existing relationship issues, we offer neutral, caring, professional support to help navigate these situations. Our focus is on supporting you, the executor, as you navigate the process of executing the deceased's wishes.

  • In most cases, the estate covers the costs associated with our services.

  • Most executors are not legal professionals, though they often work with lawyers. We collaborate with estate attorneys and can provide referrals if needed. We can also suggest other professionals such as:

    • Tax advisors

    • Accountants

    • Real estate agents

    • Financial planners

    Our role is to help coordinate these services efficiently, potentially reducing overall costs.

  • We focus on helping executors avoid typical pitfalls, including:

    • Insufficient preparation

    • Poor communication with involved parties

    • Delays in taking necessary actions

    • Improper handling of estate assets

    • Errors in creditor notifications or claim payments

    • Mistakes in estate closure procedures

    • Inadequate record-keeping

    • Misunderstanding legal obligations

    • Incorrect tax filings

    • Premature asset distributions, exposing you to personal liability

  • Not at all. You remain the appointed executor, making all the key decisions and fulfilling your commitment to your loved one. We provide support to help you save time and money as you honor your loved one's final wishes and carry out your fiduciary duties.