dWhen you draft your will, one line asks you to name an executor. That single decision shapes what your family experiences in the year after you’re gone.
An executor is the person who takes on the practical work of settling your estate. They gather your assets, pay your debts, file your final taxes, work with the courts if probate is required, and distribute what remains to your beneficiaries. It’s roughly a year of part-time work for a moderately complex estate, and the person doing it is legally responsible for getting it right.
This guide walks through how to think about that choice: what an executor actually does, which skill sets, abilities or competencies matter most, how the common candidate types stack up in real family situations, and the conversations worth having before you name anyone at all.
Key takeaways
- Executor selection is a decision with three parts: trust, capability, and availability. All three matter, and most family disputes trace back to one of them being weaker than the will-maker realized.
- The four most common executor candidates (a spouse, an adult child, a sibling or close friend, and a professional executor) each have real tradeoffs. There's no universally right answer.
- Naming an alternate is essential. Your first choice may predecease you or become unable to serve.
- Talking to your executor candidate before naming them, and reviewing your choice every few years, prevents almost all of the common problems.
What an executor actually does
The executor’s job starts in the days after death and typically continues for a year or more. It’s substantial work.
The role usually involves arranging the funeral, obtaining death certificates, locating the original will, and securing the deceased’s assets (which can mean everything from changing house locks to notifying banks and cancelling recurring payments). Then the executor identifies and values all assets and liabilities at the date of death, delivers the required Notice of Proposed Application to beneficiaries and family under BC’s Wills, Estates and Succession Act, and may work with a BC estate lawyer to apply for probate through the Supreme Court of BC when the estate requires it.
Once the Grant of Probate is issued, the executor pays debts and final taxes, files the deceased’s final tax return (and possibly a T3 trust return for the estate), keeps accounts and records the whole way through, and finally distributes what remains to beneficiaries according to the will. Executors are personally liable for mistakes made in good faith, which is why the work is carried out carefully.
For a deeper walkthrough of what happens after death from a process standpoint, our practical guide to probate in BC covers the mechanics in detail. The short version: the executor is the person carrying most of the load on that timeline.
The traits that matter most
When Fraser Valley families sit down to choose an executor, three qualities matter more than anything else.
Trust is first because everything else follows from it. Your executor will have signing authority over your assets, custody of your records, and discretion in dozens of small decisions. Choose someone whose judgment you would trust with your own money today.
Capability is second. The role isn’t glamorous, but it’s demanding. Your executor should be organized, comfortable with paperwork, able to read a bank statement, willing to make phone calls, and prepared to hire and coordinate professionals (a lawyer for the probate application, an accountant for the tax returns, sometimes a realtor to sell the family home). Someone who avoids paperwork in their own life is unlikely to become someone who welcomes it in yours.
Availability is third and most often underweighted. An executor who lives in Ottawa managing your Chilliwack estate is doable but harder. An executor who is caring for young children, running a busy business, or navigating their own health challenges will struggle to find the bandwidth. Proximity, life stage, and general capacity all count.
A fourth trait is worth naming: the ability to handle family dynamics. If your estate involves stepchildren, blended-family assets, unequal distributions, or a beneficiary who has historically been the source of friction, your executor needs a diplomatic streak. This isn’t about picking the most agreeable person; it’s about picking someone who won’t be destabilized by pressure.
Common candidates and their tradeoffs
Most Fraser Valley families choose from four categories. Each has honest pros and cons.
Your spouse
The most common choice for married couples, and often the right one. A spouse is trusted, knows the family, and typically inherits most of the estate anyway. The trade-offs are usually about timing: spouses are often the same generation as the will-maker, meaning capacity and health may be issues by the time the will is called on.
A grieving spouse may also be less able to handle detailed administrative work than they otherwise would be. Naming a spouse is a strong default, but pair it with a clear alternate.
An adult child
The next most common choice, especially for second-parent estates. An adult child is usually the right generation to handle the work, often lives locally, and has a natural interest in the estate. The tradeoff is family dynamics. If you have more than one adult child, naming just one can create resentment or suspicion between siblings, even when the choice was made for practical reasons.
Some families address this by naming co-executors (two or more children acting jointly), but that carries its own risks. If you name one child, the conversation with the others is worth having in advance.
A sibling or close friend
A good option when a spouse isn’t available, and children are too young, not local, or not well-suited. Siblings and close friends are often peers of the will-maker in life stage and capability, and they usually stand outside the beneficiary group, which can be helpful for neutrality. The main trade-off is generational: a same-generation executor may not be available when the will is finally called. A younger sibling or a longtime family friend a decade younger tends to work better than a same-age peer.
A professional executor
Trust companies, financial institutions (RBC Royal Trust, TD, and several BC credit unions all offer executor services), and, in some cases, tax accountants or financial planners will act as executors for a fee (typically a percentage of the estate or on certain assets, on top of any specific tasks).
Professional executors are the right choice when the estate is complex, when family dynamics are difficult, when there’s no suitable individual, or when the will-maker specifically wants a neutral party. They’re expensive relative to a family executor, but for estates where a mistake would be costly, or where a family executor would be exposed to conflict, the cost is often worth it.
A notary or lawyer can also be named as an executor personally, though not in their professional capacity. If Simpson Notaries drafted your will and you’d like to discuss professional executor options, we can walk you through the alternatives available in the Fraser Valley.
Alternates and co-executors
Two structural decisions arise once the primary executor is chosen: whether to name an alternate and whether to name more than one executor.
Always name at least one alternate. Your first-choice executor may predecease you, become incapable, or simply decline the role when the time comes (executors have the right to renounce). If there’s no alternate, the estate can end up in court to have an administrator appointed, which is exactly the kind of delay a will is supposed to prevent. A second alternate is worth considering if your first choices are the same generation as you.
Co-executors add oversight but reduce speed. Some families name two or more executors to act jointly, most commonly two adult children. The upside is built-in accountability: each executor sees what the other is doing. The downside is that joint authority means every decision, every signature, every bank instruction requires both people. If your co-executors disagree, the estate stalls. If they live in different cities and one is slow to respond, the estate stalls. If one becomes ill or unavailable, the estate stalls.
For most families, one executor plus a strong alternate works better than co-executors. If you’re set on co-executors because you want your children to share the role, ask yourself honestly: do they work well together on other things, and would you be comfortable if they had to make a difficult decision together under pressure?
The same reasoning applies, in a different context, to Powers of Attorney. Our post on why banks sometimes refuse a Power of Attorney touches on some of the practical friction that joint authority can create, and the underlying dynamics are similar for executors.
Questions to ask before you name someone
Before you write a name into your will, work through these five questions with the person you’re considering. Do it in a real conversation, not by text.
- Are you willing to serve as my executor when the time comes? The answer isn't always yes, and it's better to find out now than have your executor renounce the role at the worst possible moment.
- Do you understand what the role involves? Walk through the year-long timeline. Share the "what an executor actually does" section above, or ask your notary or lawyer to explain it directly to your candidate.
- Do you feel confident coordinating with a lawyer, an accountant, and possibly a realtor if the estate requires it? Executors don't need to do everything themselves; they need to know when to hire professionals and how to work with them.
- Are there any family dynamics I should know about that might make this harder for you? Sometimes a candidate has a strained relationship with a beneficiary that the will-maker didn't know about. Better to hear it now.
- Do you have a preference for how I compensate you? Executors in BC are entitled to reasonable compensation from the estate (up to 5% of the estate's gross value, subject to court oversight). Some family executors decline compensation entirely. Others want it. Establishing expectations early prevents awkwardness later.
When your circumstances change
The executor you name at 55 may not be the right executor at 75. Life keeps moving, and your will should keep pace.
The moments worth reviewing your executor choice: any significant life change (marriage, separation, divorce, remarriage, birth or death in the family), any change in your executor’s circumstances (a move away from the Fraser Valley, a serious health event, a family conflict), and roughly every five years even if nothing dramatic has happened. A regular review keeps your will current with the family you actually have, not the family you had a decade ago.
Small changes can sometimes be made with a codicil (an amendment to your existing will), but a fresh will is usually simpler and safer.
A conversation, then a decision
Choosing an executor well is less about finding the perfect person than about understanding the tradeoffs and having the right conversations. Most families arrive at the right answer once they’ve done both.
If you’d like to talk through the decision, or if you’re overdue for a will review, we can help. Simpson Notaries has been drafting wills and estate planning documents for Fraser Valley families for over fifty years. You can reach our Chilliwack office at (604) 824-5500 or our Abbotsford office at (604) 855-7228, or contact us through our website. There’s no obligation in a first conversation, and the earlier you start, the more options you’ll have.
Frequently asked questions
Can I name my executor and my primary beneficiary as the same person?
Yes. It’s very common. In BC, a spouse is often both the sole beneficiary and the executor. The one thing to note: a witness to your will cannot be a beneficiary or a beneficiary’s spouse, but an executor can be a beneficiary without issue.
Can an executor live outside British Columbia?
Yes, though it’s harder. An out-of-province or out-of-country executor can serve, but the practical work of gathering assets, meeting with lawyers, and attending to the estate is more difficult from a distance. Some registries and institutions also require additional steps for non-resident executors. If your only suitable candidate is out of province, name a local co-executor or a local alternate where possible. Out-of-country executors may have local implications if they were to act as an out-of country executor. If your appointed executor is out-of-country ask them to talk to a tax accountant in the city where they are living to determine if there are any implications, tax or otherwise if they were to act as an executor out-of-country.
What happens if my executor doesn't want to serve when the time comes?
Named executors have the right to renounce the role by filing a renunciation with the court before dealing with any estate assets. If they renounce, your alternate steps in. If there is no alternate, an interested party (usually a beneficiary) can apply to be appointed administrator, which is why naming an alternate matters so much. Having the courts appoint an administrator can be costly and time consuming.
Should I name a lawyer or notary as my executor?
You can, and some people do. A lawyer or notary can act as executor in a personal capacity, though not as a service offered by their firm. The tradeoff is that a professional acting individually will typically charge for their time. For most families a trusted individual with an alternate is enough, but if your estate is complex or your family situation is difficult, professional executor services from a trust company or financial institution are worth considering.
How much compensation is an executor entitled to in BC?
Under BC’s Trustee Act, an executor may take up to 5% of the gross aggregate value of the estate as compensation, though the actual amount is often less and is subject to approval by the beneficiaries or, if disputed, the court. Family executors sometimes decline compensation, particularly when they’re also the primary beneficiary. Professional executors charge according to their own fee schedule and any additional task-based charges. However, consider the tax implication on the compensation for executors. Discuss with a tax accountant.