YES, take the Executor fee. It takes time and effort on your part to probate a will or estate. I was Executor of my Mom's Estate and it took 1 to 30+ hours a month for the last 2+ years to get everthing in order.
Is someone in the family telling you that you do not deserve the Executor fees?
Depends. Are you doing a lot of work, and the rest of the heirs will share equally with you while you do all the work. It is a lot of work in some Estates, and if there is real property it is even MORE work. My answer is yes, take your fee. If at the end you feel benevolent, and feel you did nothing to deserve it (just having returned from the Lawyer's office I think that won't be the case), then divide it among the heirs or give it to your favorite charity in their names. But I say, take the fee. I think unless you have done this before it is more work that you imagine it to be, even in a simple Trust or Estate.
True. And there could be here someone that the Executor, having collected his fee, but not needing it, could do for the heir the Executor knows busted their bottoms making things as good as they were able. I agree. Take it. Decide later what you wish to do with it.
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Is someone in the family telling you that you do not deserve the Executor fees?
My answer is yes, take your fee. If at the end you feel benevolent, and feel you did nothing to deserve it (just having returned from the Lawyer's office I think that won't be the case), then divide it among the heirs or give it to your favorite charity in their names.
But I say, take the fee. I think unless you have done this before it is more work that you imagine it to be, even in a simple Trust or Estate.
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The 4th heir has already benefited enough, by “hand”. He will scrabble for his portion of the executor fee. He may have it.