Executor Checklist

A step-by-step guide for executors in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley

Being named an executor means someone trusted you to carry out their final wishes. It’s a meaningful responsibility — and for most people, an unfamiliar one.

Settling an estate in British Columbia typically takes twelve to eighteen months and involves working with the courts, the CRA, banks, insurers, and government agencies. It’s a substantial amount of work, and it arrives at a time when you’re also grieving.

This checklist lays out what needs to happen and roughly when. Work through it at your own pace. Not every item applies to every estate, and very little of it is genuinely urgent.

If you’d like help understanding where to start, call us at 604-857-5779. We’re happy to talk it through, whether or not you’re using our services.

The First Week

Obtain the Medical Certificate of Death. Completed by the attending physician, nurse practitioner, or coroner. Your funeral home coordinates this — we handle it as part of our arrangement process.

Register the death with BC Vital Statistics. Required within five days. We take care of this on your behalf.

Order certified death certificates. You’ll need one for nearly every institution you deal with. Most executors need eight to ten copies — order generously, because reordering later costs time you won’t want to spend. We order these for you.

Make funeral arrangements. Check first for prearrangements or documented wishes. Funeral costs are a legitimate estate expense.

Locate the original will. Check the home, a safety deposit box, and any lawyer or notary the deceased used. → Can’t find the will? Here’s what to do

Secure the property and belongings. Lock the home, remove valuables and documents, arrange pet care, and notify the home insurer that the property is unoccupied — coverage terms usually change after a vacancy period.

Notify immediate family and close contacts.

The First Month

Confirm the will is valid and current. Check the date, look for codicils, and confirm it was properly witnessed. → Is this will valid? What makes a will legally binding in BC

Confirm your role. Are you an executor named in the will, or will someone need to apply to the court as administrator? → Executor or administrator: what’s the difference?

Redirect the mail. Don’t stop it — redirect it. Incoming mail is the best tool you have for discovering accounts you didn’t know existed. → How to redirect mail after a death

Notify the credit bureaus. Contact both Equifax and TransUnion to place a deceased notification and request a credit report. This protects against fraud and reveals every credit account on file. → Protecting a loved one’s identity after death

Notify Service Canada. Stop CPP and OAS payments, and apply for the CPP Death Benefit. → The CPP Death Benefit: how to apply and what to expect

Notify the CRA and register yourself as the legal representative.

Cancel identification. Passport, driver’s licence, BC Services Card.

Notify financial institutions of the death and ask them to flag the accounts.

Open an estate bank account. Every dollar in and out of the estate flows through it. Never mix estate funds with your own.

Begin building the estate inventory — every asset and every debt. → How to find estate documents: a practical search guide

Check for financial assistance that may be available depending on the circumstances of the death: → ICBC death benefits · WorkSafeBC death benefits · Crime Victim Assistance Program · Last Post Fund (veterans) · BC government funeral assistance

Months One to Six: Probate

Determine whether probate is required. It depends on what the estate holds and what each institution will accept. If the deceased owned real property in their own name, you’ll almost certainly need it. → What is probate — and do you actually need it in BC?

Run a Wills Notice Search through BC Vital Statistics. Required before you can apply.

Deliver the P1 notice to all beneficiaries and anyone entitled to notice. You must wait at least 21 days after delivery before filing.

Prepare and file the application at the appropriate BC Supreme Court registry. → Where to file for probate in British Columbia

Decide whether you need a lawyer. Straightforward estates can often be handled without one. Real property, business interests, contested wills, or significant value generally warrant professional help. Legal fees are paid from the estate.

While You Wait: Administration

Complete the asset inventory. Bank accounts, investments, property, vehicles, pensions, insurance, personal effects, and digital assets.

Search for forgotten assets. Dormant accounts, old pensions, and unclaimed balances are more common than people expect — and the searches are free. → How to find unclaimed assets and forgotten accounts in Canada

Identify all debts. Mortgages, credit cards, loans, outstanding taxes, and final bills.

Deal with digital accounts. Cancel subscriptions, preserve what matters, and close what doesn’t. → What happens to your online accounts when you die? → Cryptocurrency and digital assets: the estate planning gap

Maintain estate property. Keep insurance, property taxes, utilities, and strata fees current. Check whether the Speculation and Vacancy Tax or Empty Homes Tax declarations apply.

Keep beneficiaries informed. A short written update every four to six weeks prevents most executor disputes before they start. → When families disagree: navigating conflict during estate settlement

File the final tax return. Covering January 1 of the year of death through the date of death. An estate return may also be required.

Months Six to Eighteen: Winding Up

Deal with real property. Transfer to a beneficiary or sell, depending on the will and the beneficiaries’ wishes. → Selling or transferring estate property in British Columbia

Pay all debts and taxes before distributing anything to beneficiaries.

Obtain a CRA clearance certificate. This confirms all taxes are paid. Distributing without one can leave you personally liable.

Mind the wills variation window. A spouse or child can apply to vary the will within 180 days of the grant of probate. Many executors hold final distribution until that window closes.

Distribute the estate according to the will, or according to WESA if there’s no will.

Prepare a final accounting for the beneficiaries showing everything received, everything paid, and everything distributed.

Consider your compensation. Executors in BC may claim up to 5% of the gross aggregate value of the estate under the Trustee Act. At minimum, reimburse yourself for out-of-pocket expenses.

A Few Things Worth Knowing

This takes longer than you expect. Twelve to eighteen months is normal. Knowing that in advance helps you pace yourself. → The administrative burden of death: what nobody warns you about

Keep one master list. Every institution, every account, every notification — who you contacted, when, and what’s outstanding. This single habit prevents more problems than anything else.

Never distribute early. It’s the most common and most costly executor mistake.

Get help where it pays. A lawyer for probate and an accountant for the tax filings aren’t luxuries on a complex estate. Both are paid from the estate.

You can say no. Being named doesn’t obligate you — but you must decide before you begin administering.

Planning Ahead

If reading this has you thinking about your own affairs, these may help:

→ How to create a will in British Columbia: a step-by-step guide → Choosing an executor: who to name and why it matters → Advance care plans vs. living wills in BC → Think you don’t need a will? Here’s why you do

The single most valuable thing you can do for your executor is reduce the search: leave a document listing where your will is, who your professionals are, which institutions you deal with, and what your funeral wishes are.

How We Help

At Alternatives Funeral & Cremation Services, we’ve supported families across Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley since 1992. We handle the foundation that everything else on this list depends on:

• Coordinating the Medical Certificate of Death

• Registering the death with BC Vital Statistics

• Ordering as many certified death certificates as you need

• Providing statements of death for mail redirection and institutional notifications

• Helping you understand what needs to happen, and in what order

We’re not lawyers or accountants, and we won’t pretend to be. But we’ve walked alongside thousands of executors, and we’re glad to help you get oriented.

Call us at 604-857-5779 — whether you’re an executor wondering where to begin, or you’re planning ahead so your family won’t have to.

This checklist provides general information for executors in British Columbia. Every estate is different, and this is not legal or tax advice. For guidance on a specific estate, consult a qualified estate lawyer or accountant.