Executor and successor
Review whether executor and successor belongs in the household plan.
Fictional sampleInteractive demonstration
Chapter 14
Executor Handbook
Prepare a guided household continuity and survivor-support workflow without granting authority or access.
This handbook is an organizational index and task plan—not legal authority. It displays safe references, never credentials.
Canonical readiness
What makes up 58% readiness?
Not Applicable leaves the denominator. Review Later stays applicable and incomplete.
6completed
10applicable
0excluded
4remaining
Top gaps→ Review Primary and successor executor.→ Review Digital-estate handoff.→ Review Final wishes and charitable intentions.
Manage what applies Plan Settings →
Plan setup
Chapter applicability
Applicability was set during onboarding. Review Later remains incomplete; Not Applicable is excluded from readiness.
First records to find
Review whether first records to find belongs in the household plan.
Financial map
Review whether financial map belongs in the household plan.
People to contact
Review whether people to contact belongs in the household plan.
Digital handoff
Review whether digital handoff belongs in the household plan.
Final wishes and charity
Review whether final wishes and charity belongs in the household plan.
Household responsibilities
Review whether household responsibilities belongs in the household plan.
Final arrangements
Review whether final arrangements belongs in the household plan.
Pet continuity
Review whether pet continuity belongs in the household plan.
Dependent support
Review whether dependent support belongs in the household plan.
Household overview
Household continuity reference map
See who or what each record concerns, where supporting information can be found, and what needs review.
executorunknown
Primary and successor executor
- Primary
- Taylor Stone
- Successor
- Sam River
- Supporting document
- Maple household will
- Authority
- Expected roles only; no current access granted
core documentsreviewed
First records to find
- Important documents
- Maple household will, Maple family revocable trust, Jordan financial power of attorney, Casey health care proxy
institution mapreviewed
Financial institution map
- Institutions
- Northstar Community Bank, Harborline Investments, Fictional Benefits Custodian, Maple County Schools Benefits
professional contactsreviewed
People to contact
- Professionals
- Emery Park — Estate-planning attorney; Morgan Hale — CPA / tax professional; River Chen — Financial adviser; Sage Brooks — Insurance agent
digital instructionsunknown
Digital-estate handoff
- Important digital services
- Primary household email, Cloud photo library, Social profile, Password manager reference, Digital wallet reference, Fictional Family Streaming
- Credentials
- Never displayed
final wishesdeferred
Final wishes and charitable intentions
- Estate reference
- Maple household will
- Charitable intentions
- Harbor Community Food Fund, Maple Arts Project, Community Library Foundation, Former recurring organization
household responsibilitiesreviewed
Immediate household responsibilities
- Responsibility 1
- Mortgage and property references
- Responsibility 2
- Utilities and recurring bills
- Responsibility 3
- Dependents and pet care
- Responsibility 4
- Household services
final arrangementsreviewed
Final-arrangement and prepaid references
- Recorded preference
- cremation
- Provider
- Fictional Harbor Memorial Services
- Prepaid status
- recorded
- Safe contract reference
- Continuity folder · final arrangements tab
- Supporting document
- Maple household will
- Last reviewed
- 2026-04-20
pet continuityreviewed
Immediate pet continuity
- Pet
- Milo
- Primary caregiver
- Casey Maple
- Backup caregiver
- Taylor Stone
- Care instructions
- Household continuity folder
dependent continuityunknown
Dependent support and guardian-plan references
- Dependents
- Avery Maple, Riley Maple
- Guardian planning
- Use the existing primary and successor role records
- Supporting document
- Maple household will
Handoff preparation
Know what needs attention first
Task progress supports continuity planning. It is not a score of how someone handled a death.
6urgent open0completed1waiting6digital actions
Early continuity references
Facts that may prevent missed care or duplicate spending
Prepaid arrangement recorded
Review Continuity folder · final arrangements tab and its supporting document before purchasing duplicate services. This is metadata, not a purchasing recommendation.
Open Final Arrangements →Milo · Dog
Casey Maple is recorded as primary caregiver; Taylor Stone is backup. Instructions: Household continuity folder.
People & Family →Avery and Riley Maple
Use the existing Guardians & Decision Makers roles and supporting Estate Document. Planstead does not determine legal custody.
Guardian planning →Estate Inventory
Walk room by room and organize items, decisions, appraisals, and unresolved questions without deciding legal ownership.
Open Estate Inventory →Survivor Support
See a calm, timed sequence for stability, benefits, property, tax review, practical support, and fraud awareness.
Open Survivor Support →Plain-English guidance
Prepare without creating authority
Executor / personal representative
Survivor checklist
Funeral preplanning
Prepaid arrangements
Pet continuity
Obituary / final wishes
Guided continuity checklist
Executor & survivor task plan
Priority and timing are organizational labels—not legal deadlines. Provider contact, transfers, cancellations, and closure remain manual and require appropriate authority.
Immediate / first days
Start with people, pets, final wishes, arrangements, and urgent household continuity.
urgentFirst 24 hours
Locate final wishes
Find the recorded final-wishes reference and confirm where current instructions are kept.
Task details
Why it matters: Safe document locations help the household avoid searching during a stressful time.
Responsible person: Taylor Stone
Supporting records: 1 linked reference
urgentFirst 24 hours
Confirm dependent support and guardian-plan location
Use People & Family and Guardians records to locate the recorded primary, successor, and supporting document references. Planstead does not determine legal custody.
Task details
Responsible person: Taylor Stone
Professional: Emery Park
Supporting records: 1 linked reference
urgentFirst 24 hours
Confirm immediate care for Milo
Use the recorded caregiver and care-instruction references. A primary caregiver is recorded.
Task details
Why it matters: Immediate feeding, medication, and safe shelter should not be overlooked.
Responsible person: Casey Maple
Professional: Fictional neighborhood veterinary practice
Supporting records: 1 linked reference
urgentFirst 24 hours
Review recorded final-arrangement and prepaid references
A prepaid arrangement is recorded. Review the provider, safe reference, and supporting document before purchasing new services.
Task details
Why it matters: Existing arrangements may prevent duplicate or unnecessary spending.
Responsible person: Taylor Stone
Professional:
Supporting records: 1 linked reference
Legal & key documents
Locate records and contacts; these reminders do not grant authority.
importantFirst week
Locate core estate records and contact the attorney
Use the recorded document index and professional contact map; this task does not grant legal authority.
Task details
Professional: Emery Park
Supporting records: 2 linked references
importantFirst week
Locate property and insurance records
Find the deed/property references and important policy locations before contacting providers or taking action.
Task details
Professional: Sage Brooks
Supporting records: 1 linked reference
Financial
Map institutions, policies, debts, recurring payments, and tax contacts before taking action.
importantFirst week
Review the financial institution map
Identify recorded banking, retirement, debt, insurance, and CPA relationships using safe references only.
Task details
Professional: Morgan Hale
Household
Keep the home, mail, vehicles, services, and recurring obligations visible.
importantFirst week
Review recurring household responsibilities
Review mortgage, utilities, vehicles, mail, insurance, services, maintenance, security, and seasonal obligations before taking action.
Task details
Digital
Follow recorded preferences and instruction locations without exposing credentials.
urgentFirst 3 days
Review disposition for Primary household email
Follow the recorded preference and safe instruction location before contacting or changing the service.
Task details
Why it matters: Digital accounts can hold communications, family records, recurring costs, or access to other services.
Responsible person: Taylor Stone
Digital records: Primary household email
Supporting records: 1 linked reference
importantFirst month
Review recurring service: Cloud photo library
Follow the recorded preference and safe instruction location before contacting or changing the service.
Task details
Why it matters: Digital accounts can hold communications, family records, recurring costs, or access to other services.
Responsible person: Taylor Stone
Digital records: Cloud photo library
routineFirst month
Review disposition for Social profile
Follow the recorded preference and safe instruction location before contacting or changing the service.
Task details
Why it matters: Digital accounts can hold communications, family records, recurring costs, or access to other services.
Digital records: Social profile
urgentFirst month
Review disposition for Password manager reference
Follow the recorded preference and safe instruction location before contacting or changing the service.
Task details
Why it matters: Digital accounts can hold communications, family records, recurring costs, or access to other services.
Responsible person: Taylor Stone
Digital records: Password manager reference
Supporting records: 1 linked reference
importantFirst month
Review disposition for Digital wallet reference
Locate the recorded access-instruction location. Never store or display private keys, seed phrases, or recovery codes in Planstead.
Task details
Why it matters: Digital accounts can hold communications, family records, recurring costs, or access to other services.
Digital records: Digital wallet reference
routineFirst month
Review recurring service: Fictional Family Streaming
Follow the recorded preference and safe instruction location before contacting or changing the service.
Task details
Why it matters: Digital accounts can hold communications, family records, recurring costs, or access to other services.
Responsible person: Taylor Stone
Digital records: Fictional Family Streaming
Final wishes / personal matters
Find recorded wishes, health-planning references, and charitable intentions.
importantWhen appropriate
Locate health-planning and personal-wishes references
Find recorded health-care proxy, advance-directive, donor-registry, and final-wishes locations. Preferences are not treated as legal or medical instructions.
Task details
Supporting records: 2 linked references
routineWhen appropriate
Review final wishes and charitable intentions
Use stable Charity, Beneficiary, and Estate Document references; do not duplicate the donation ledger.
Task details
Professional: Emery Park
Supporting records: 1 linked reference
Working scenario
Model possible estate proceeds
Explore user-entered proceeds, expenses, reserves, and allocation percentages without recording a legal distribution.
Know what to do next
Recommended next steps
Recommendation controls are reversible and do not change readiness.
ReviewOpen
Confirm the successor executor
Review the existing role and supporting document references.
- Why this appeared
- The successor role still needs confirmation.
ReviewOpen
Review the prepaid arrangement reference
Confirm the provider, safe contract reference, and document location.
- Why this appeared
- A prepaid arrangement is recorded and should be surfaced before new spending.
ReviewOpen
Complete the digital instruction map
Record where remaining instructions can be found.
- Why this appeared
- A digital instruction location is unknown.
ReviewOpen
Review recurring services
Use the Digital Estate source records before requesting any change.
- Why this appeared
- Recorded subscriptions need survivor review.
ReviewOpen
Review final wishes and charity
Confirm related references.
- Why this appeared
- This remains Review Later.
Plan future check-ins
Chapter review
Planstead — Executor handbook review
Reconfirm Taylor Stone as primary and Sam River as successor, plus documents, digital instructions, pets, dependents, arrangements, and household responsibilities.