What your executor needs to know first

An executor is often asked to act at one of the hardest moments in a family’s life.

People are grieving. Details are scattered. Documents may be in different places. Passwords, account information, insurance policies, beneficiary details, and professional contacts may not be easy to find.

The role can feel overwhelming — not because the executor is incapable, but because they are often left searching for information while trying to support everyone else.

This guide is designed to help families think ahead. It covers the practical information an executor may need first: who to contact, where key documents may live, which accounts matter, and what questions are worth confirming with a qualified professional.

Every estate is different. Use this as a planning guide to reduce searching, not as a substitute for legal, tax, or financial advice.

1. Who should be contacted first

One of the first things an executor may need is a clear contact list.

This does not need to be complicated. It should simply answer: who needs to know, and who can help?

Useful contacts may include:

• The person named as executor
• Any alternate executor
• Immediate family or trusted people
• A lawyer or notary
• An accountant or tax preparer
• A financial planner or advisor
• Insurance contacts
• Pension or benefits contacts
• Employer or former employer
• Funeral home, ceremony contact, faith leader, or cultural contact
• Care contacts for dependents, Elders, or pets

It can also help to note which person should be contacted first and which people should only be contacted after immediate family has been told.

A simple note like this can reduce confusion:

“Morgan should be contacted first. Evelyn is the named executor. Priya has the legal documents. Daniel prepares our taxes.”

That kind of clarity can be a gift.

2. Where the will and legal documents are located

An executor will usually need to know whether there is a will, where it is stored, and who prepared it.

Families should consider recording the location of:

• The most recent will
• Any older wills, if they exist
• Power of attorney documents
• Health care directive, representation agreement, or personal directive
• Marriage, divorce, separation, or adoption documents
• Trust documents
• Property ownership documents
• Insurance policies
• Business ownership documents
• Funeral or ceremony instructions

You do not necessarily need to upload every document into a planning tool. Sometimes the most important thing is simply knowing where the original lives.

For example:

“The original will is stored in the home filing cabinet, top drawer, in the folder labelled Estate Planning. A copy is with Priya Nair at Nair Family Law.”

That is much more useful than leaving someone to search through drawers, emails, filing cabinets, cloud storage, and old messages.

3. What accounts exist

Executors often need a broad picture of the person’s financial life.

That does not mean every account number needs to be exposed to everyone. Sensitive details should be protected. But the executor may need to know what exists and where to begin.

Useful account categories may include:

• Chequing and savings accounts
• Credit cards
• Mortgages or lines of credit
• RRSPs, RRIFs, TFSAs, pensions, and investment accounts
• Life insurance policies
• Vehicle loans or leases
• Utility accounts
• Phone and internet accounts
• Subscription services
• Email and cloud storage accounts
• Business accounts
• Digital wallets or cryptocurrency accounts, if applicable
• Password manager instructions

For sensitive accounts, a safe summary may be enough:

“Primary chequing account at a major Canadian bank, ending in 4821. Full access instructions are stored in secure storage.”

The goal is not to make private information public. The goal is to help the right person know what exists and where to find the next step.

4. Which assets and debts may need attention

An executor may need to understand the basic shape of the estate.

That can include assets such as:

• A home or other real estate
• Vehicles
• Bank accounts
• Investments
• Insurance
• Pensions
• Business interests
• Valuable personal property
• Family heirlooms
• Digital assets
• Money owed to the person

It can also include debts or obligations such as:

• Mortgage
• Loans
• Credit cards
• Taxes owing
• Funeral or ceremony costs
• Utility bills
• Subscriptions or recurring payments

This does not need to be perfect on day one. But even a simple inventory can prevent important things from being missed.

A helpful planning note might say:

“The house is jointly owned. The mortgage is with the same bank as the chequing account. The vehicle loan has about $9,000 remaining. The TFSA beneficiary should be confirmed.”

Notice the language: should be confirmed. That matters. Estate planning often includes details that need professional review.

5. Who is named as beneficiary

Beneficiary designations can matter a lot.

Some assets may pass outside the estate through a named beneficiary. Others may pass through the estate. Some may be unclear or worth confirming.

Common places to check for beneficiary designations include:

• Life insurance
• RRSPs
• RRIFs
• TFSAs
• Pensions
• Workplace benefits
• Certain investment or registered accounts

For each item, it may help to record:

• Who is named as primary beneficiary
• Whether there is a contingent beneficiary
• Whether the designation was recently reviewed
• Whether the designation matches current wishes
• Whether anything is unknown or worth confirming

Examples of “worth confirming” items may include:

• No beneficiary listed
• No contingent beneficiary
• An ex-spouse or former partner still listed
• A minor child listed directly
• Percentages that do not add up clearly
• A designation that does not match the will
• An account where the family is unsure what happens next

RiGEL uses cautious language for this reason. A planning tool can help show what appears to be true based on entered information, but it should not pretend to replace professional advice.

6. What the person wanted for funeral, ceremony, or cultural wishes

Executors may also be asked to make personal decisions very quickly.

Families can reduce pressure by documenting wishes such as:

• Funeral, memorial, ceremony, or celebration of life preferences
• Burial, cremation, or other instructions
• Faith, cultural, or spiritual considerations
• Music, readings, prayers, speakers, or gathering preferences
• Obituary notes
• Organ donation wishes, where applicable
• People who should be included or notified
• Any expenses already prepaid or planned

These wishes may not all be legally binding, depending on the situation and jurisdiction. But they can still provide comfort and direction.

A simple note can help:

“I would prefer a small gathering with family and close friends. Please include the song we discussed, and ask Uncle David to speak if he is willing.”

This kind of guidance can reduce the number of painful decisions left to others.

7. What should stay private

Not everything should be shared with everyone.

A good executor plan should make a distinction between:

• Information the executor may need
• Information family may need
• Information that should remain private
• Information that should only be accessed with professional support
• Information stored securely and released only when appropriate

Private items may include:

• Personal letters
• Secure storage notes
• Password manager instructions
• Sensitive financial details
• Medical or care notes
• Family conflict notes
• Information about vulnerable dependents
• Cultural, ceremonial, or community-sensitive information

Planning ahead allows people to say:

“This information exists, but it should only be accessed by the executor.”

That gives the executor a path without exposing everything to everyone.

8. What to confirm with a professional

Some questions should not be guessed at.

An executor may need support from a lawyer, accountant, financial planner, or other qualified professional.

Items worth confirming may include:

• Whether probate is required
• Which assets pass through the estate
• Which assets may pass outside the estate
• Tax filing requirements
• Capital gains or other tax exposure
• Treatment of registered accounts
• Real estate ownership
• Business ownership
• Debts and creditor obligations
• Cross-border property or heirs
• Indigenous-specific rules, including Section 87 considerations where relevant
• Trusts or complex family arrangements
• Disputes or unclear instructions

A strong plan does not remove the need for professional advice. It helps everyone show up to that advice better prepared.

9. A simple executor starter checklist

Here is a practical checklist families can prepare in advance.

People to identify

• Executor
• Alternate executor
• Immediate family contacts
• Lawyer or notary
• Accountant or tax preparer
• Financial planner or advisor
• Insurance contact
• Employer or pension contact
• Funeral, ceremony, faith, or cultural contact
• Care contact for dependents or pets

Documents to locate

• Will
• Power of attorney
• Health care directive or representation agreement
• Insurance policies
• Tax records
• Property documents
• Mortgage or loan documents
• Vehicle ownership papers
• Marriage, divorce, separation, adoption, or guardianship documents
• Trust or business documents
• Funeral or ceremony wishes

Accounts to list

• Bank accounts
• Credit cards
• Investments
• RRSPs, RRIFs, TFSAs, and pensions
• Insurance
• Mortgage and loans
• Utilities
• Phone and internet
• Email and cloud storage
• Subscriptions
• Business accounts
• Digital assets or password manager instructions

Questions worth confirming

• Is the will current?
• Are beneficiaries up to date?
• Is there a contingent beneficiary?
• Which assets may pass outside the estate?
• Which assets may pass through the estate?
• Are any documents missing?
• Are any wishes unclear?
• Are there tax, probate, or cross-border questions?
• Does the executor know where to begin?

10. How RiGEL helps

RiGEL helps families organize this information before it is urgently needed.

With RiGEL Personal, households can:

• Build an emergency snapshot
• Organize assets, liabilities, accounts, and document locations
• Map beneficiaries and items worth confirming
• Prepare trusted people and executor contacts
• Create family letters and wishes
• Keep sensitive instructions in secure storage
• Generate a preparedness pack
• Use Executor Mode to create a staged handoff guide

The purpose is not to replace lawyers, accountants, or professional advice.

The purpose is to reduce searching, clarify next steps, and help trusted people understand what matters when the moment comes.

Final thought

An executor does not need every answer on the first day.

But they do need a place to start.

A clear list of contacts, documents, accounts, wishes, and questions worth confirming can turn a confusing responsibility into a more manageable path.

That is the heart of preparedness: not controlling every outcome, but making sure the people you trust are not left alone with uncertainty.