One of your duties as an appointed personal representative of an estate is communicating with beneficiaries. You need to keep beneficiaries adequately informed about the estate and the probate process.
Poor communication can lead to your removal, as it can be viewed as a neglect of duty or a lack of transparency. Here is how to communicate with beneficiaries:
Notify them when probate begins
Locate each beneficiary and send them a written notice via mail, preferably accompanied by a copy of the will. The notice should inform them that the will has been filed and probate has begun. It should also let them know they have been named as a beneficiary and identify you as the personal representative.
You can use this initial interaction to set expectations. Let the beneficiaries know how often you will be sending updates, which communication methods you will be using, how they can contact you and anticipated timelines.
Respond on time
It’s important to respond to inquiries/concerns on time. Delaying responses can be seen as not acting in the best interest of the estate.
If a beneficiary inquires about a matter you don’t have enough information about yet, inform them that you will update them as soon as you do. For example, when they ask about the value of a property, but the appraisal has not yet been completed.
Document your conversations
Ensure that you keep a record of all communications. It helps to use written communication, as it’s easier to document. You should save emails, keep receipts for mail, send follow-up emails after a phone call/in-person meeting summarizing what was discussed and note down the date, time, attendees and topics discussed for all interactions in a spreadsheet.
Communicating with beneficiaries is a crucial duty for a personal representative. Obtain more information about how to perform your duties efficiently.