The common (but not small) mistakes:

• Not marshaling all of the assets.

• Not determining all of the debt.

• Not disposing of all of the debt.

• Not paying the expenses on time, including the estate taxes owed by the decedent’s estate.

• Making distributions prior to the seven (7) months.

• Paying the decedent’s creditors without confirming the claim(s).

• Not heeding the concerns or needs of the beneficiary(ies) of the estate.

Whether you are called an executor or administrator, or anything in-between, your job is relatively the same. Marshal the assets of the estate, pay the legitimate claims of the decedent, dispose of the illegitimate claims against the decedent, distribute the net estate pursuant to the terms of the dispositive instrument (e.g., the Will) and/or state law (e.g., in the event there is no Will), as the case may be, prepare the necessary estate tax return(s), and file an inventory with the court.

If you own real estate in more than one state (New York and Florida, for example) you may need to probate your Will or administer your estates in each state.