Being named the executor of an estate — or simply being the family member left to organize a loved one’s affairs — is both an honour and a heavy responsibility. In Canada, the role comes with legal duties, emotional weight, and a surprising amount of paperwork. If you’re about to take on this role — or know you will one day — here are some essential tips to make the process smoother and more manageable.
And yes… Estate Crate can be a game-changer along the way.
1. Get Familiar With the Will (If There Is One)
The first thing an executor must do is locate the original, signed copy of the Will. It may be in a lawyer’s office, a safety deposit box, or tucked away at home. The Will names beneficiaries, outlines asset distribution, and may include funeral wishes. If there is no Will, the estate is considered intestate, and provincial laws will determine how everything is distributed.
🟩 How Estate Crate Helps:
The Estate Crate makes the Will easier to locate and interpret by keeping it together with other critical estate documents in one central, organized place — including contacts for lawyers, accountants, and advisors.
2. You’ll Need a Lot of Paperwork — Fast
From banking institutions to land titles offices, you’ll be asked for death certificates, asset lists, policy documents, and more. You’ll also need to apply for probate in most cases, which means presenting a clear inventory of the deceased’s estate.
🟩 Estate Crate Tip:
Our file system includes labelled folders for financials, real estate, insurance, legal, tax, vehicles, and personal information. As an executor, having these files pre-organized can save dozens of hours and weeks of stress.
3. Notify Government and Financial Institutions
You’ll need to contact Service Canada, CRA, pension providers, and every financial institution the deceased had accounts with. That means knowing what those accounts were in the first place — and where they were held.
🟩 Executor Hack:
An Estate Crate helps prevent missed accounts by documenting banking info, investment firms, pensions, RRSPs, TFSAs, and other assets, making your notifications easier, and ensuring nothing gets lost or unclaimed.
4. You Are Personally Liable for Mistakes
Executors in Canada can be held financially responsible for errors in managing or distributing an estate — especially if taxes are missed, debts aren’t paid properly, or assets are mismanaged. Take this role seriously, and keep detailed records of every action you take.
🟩 Good to Know:
Using an Estate Crate not only keeps everything organized, but also demonstrates that you’ve taken your duties seriously, should you ever need to show your work to beneficiaries or the courts.
5. You Don’t Have to Do It Alone
Many executors think they need to handle everything themselves. You don’t. It’s smart — and often necessary — to hire professionals such as estate lawyers, accountants, or financial advisors to guide you.
🟩 Estate Crate Inclusion:
The crate includes space to record contact info for legal and financial professionals. It’s also a great tool to bring to meetings so you’re fully informed and equipped to ask the right questions.
6. Settling an Estate Takes Time
Most estates take 9 to 18 months to fully settle in Canada, and complex ones can take even longer. The emotional burden of grief, family dynamics, and administrative overload makes this process even tougher.
🟩 Why Organization Matters:
Having a well-prepared Estate Crate in advance doesn’t just benefit the deceased — it’s a gift to their executor and loved ones, making the entire process more manageable and far less overwhelming.
7. Encourage the People You’ll One Day Represent to Get an Estate Crate
If you’re reading this because you’re about to become an executor — or because you know someone will name you as theirs — it’s not too early to talk about getting organized.
🟩 Start the Conversation Now
Gently encourage your parent, spouse, sibling, or friend to build their own Estate Crate. Not only does it support their Will and estate plan, it gives you — the person left to carry it all out — clarity, comfort, and a roadmap to follow.
Final Thought
There’s no easy way to lose a loved one. But being prepared can make a massive difference. As an executor or family member, your job is to honour their life, handle their estate with care, and guide others through the process.
Let Estate Crate help you do that — with clarity, compassion, and confidence.