What are an executor's duties?
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Detailed explanation, checklist and sources
The exact powers follow from the will and the law. An executor generally administers the estate and pays debts, but may not automatically distribute everything independently.
General information about Dutch law · Reviewed on · How we work
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Read the appointment and powers
Check the will, acceptance of the role and any special instructions. No one is obliged to accept the role of executor.
Request transparent administration
An executor must prepare an inventory of the estate and provide heirs with sufficient information. Keep payments, sale proceeds, costs and correspondence verifiable.
Check the end of administration and the accounting
After completion of the duties, an account and explanation must be provided. In cases of serious failure, interested parties may take legal action or request dismissal.
Further points to check
When making a will you can appoint a substitute executor and set remuneration: the first appointee may refuse. An ordinary executor inventories and manages assets, pays debts and handles legacies and inheritance tax within their authority. Selling assets, including a house, may be needed to pay debts; check statutory consultation rules and any consent conditions in the will before sale. The heirs normally divide the remainder together afterwards. An executor with settlement-administration powers may receive broader authority, sometimes to divide or sell without cooperation. The exact will remains decisive; the title alone grants no unlimited power. Heirs retain information rights.
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Will
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- Will
- Acceptance by executor
- Inventory of the estate
- Estate bank account
- Overview of payments
- Account and explanation
Frequently asked questions
May the executor sell the house?
That depends on the powers and necessity, for example to pay debts. The will must be read.
Is an executor entitled to remuneration?
The law and, above all, the will determine whether and how much remuneration applies.