Executors First Duties

After you have been notified of the testators death do these three things immediately;

1. Locate the will

2. If the deceased has any animals contact the people the will states will care for the animals. If no person is nominated it is your responsibility to make sure the animals are cared for

3. Change all the locks on all doors at all properties included in the estate. You do not know who has keys to these properties and it is very common for assets like valuables to go missing from these properties in the days after death as people who may or may not be beneficiaries believe the deceased ‘promised it to them’

What should as executor do first after notified of a testators death?