Executor Checklist Alberta: Duties and Responsibilities Step by Step

You have been named executor in a will, and the person has died. The funeral home is asking questions, the bank just froze the accounts, and siblings are calling about their inheritance. You need a clear sequence of steps — not a legal textbook — to get through the next six to twelve months without making a costly mistake.

Here is the chronological checklist that Alberta executors actually need, organized by what to do and when.

The First 48 Hours

Your immediate priorities are securing assets and managing logistics — not paperwork.

• Locate the original will. You need the wet-ink original, not a photocopy. Check the deceased's home, their lawyer's office, and their safe deposit box. A photocopy can be probated in Alberta, but it requires a special contested court application with sworn affidavits — dramatically more expensive and slow than a standard filing.
• Secure physical property. Lock the residence, check that heating and utilities remain active (frozen pipes in an Alberta winter can cause tens of thousands in damage), secure vehicles, and arrange pet care.
• Confirm your authority has started. Any Enduring Power of Attorney or Personal Directive held by anyone else is now void — those documents expire the moment of death. Your authority as executor under the will begins immediately.
• Do not access the deceased's bank accounts. The accounts will be frozen once the bank is notified. Using a shared PIN or an expired power of attorney to withdraw funds is a fiduciary violation.
• Assess funeral funding. If the estate has limited liquid assets, check eligibility for the Alberta Funeral Benefit (up to $4,601 for qualifying low-income Albertans or AISH recipients) before signing any funeral contracts. This benefit must be applied for before committing to funeral expenses.

The First Week

• Order death certificates. Apply through an authorized Alberta Registry Agent (not directly to Vital Statistics). Cost is $20 per certificate plus the agent's service fee. Order 3 to 5 copies — banks, insurance companies, and the Land Titles Office each want their own. Out-of-province executors must use the mail-in process with a notarized Statutory Declaration for Proof of Identity.
• Notify Service Canada. Halt CPP and OAS payments to prevent overpayments that the estate will need to repay.
• Notify the CRA. Report the death so the CRA can flag the tax account and prevent identity fraud.
• Apply for the CPP death benefit. Use form ISP1200. The deadline is 12 months from the date of death, but applying early means funds arrive sooner. The base benefit is up to $2,500; deaths after January 1, 2025, may qualify for an additional $2,500 top-up under strict conditions.
• Notify Alberta Health Care. Cancel the deceased's health coverage to prevent billing issues.

The First Month

This is the heavy inventory and assessment phase.

• Build the estate inventory. Document every asset (real estate, bank accounts, investments, vehicles, digital assets) and every debt (mortgage, credit cards, loans, taxes owing). This feeds directly into the GA2 Inventory of Property form required for probate.
• Contact financial institutions. For each bank, credit union, or investment firm, determine whether they will release funds without probate or whether they require a Grant of Probate. Most banks set internal thresholds between $25,000 and $50,000. Ask each institution directly — there is no universal rule.
• Determine whether you need probate. If the estate includes real property held in sole name (the Land Titles Office always requires a grant), or if any bank account exceeds the institution's threshold, you need a Grant of Probate. If all assets pass by joint tenancy, named beneficiary, or are under bank thresholds, you may be able to settle without one.
• If not applying for probate: serve NGA (Notice for Grants Not Applied For) forms to all beneficiaries, family members, the surviving spouse, and the Public Trustee (if a minor is involved). This is mandatory under the Estate Administration Act even when you are not going to court.

Months Two Through Four: Probate and Administration

If probate is required:

• Complete the GA form sequence. GA1 (application), GA2 (inventory), GA3 (notice to beneficiaries — serve copies to all interested parties), GA4 (notice to Public Trustee, if applicable), GA5 (affidavit of service confirming all notices were delivered).
• Submit to the Court of King's Bench. Alberta residents can use the Surrogate Digital Service (SDS) online portal or submit paper forms. Out-of-province executors must use paper. File at the judicial centre closest by road to where the deceased lived.
• Pay court fees. $300 to open the file, plus a tiered surrogate fee up to $525 (calculated on net estate value). Total maximum: $825.
• Publish a Notice to Creditors (Form GA 15). One publication for estates under $100,000; two publications at least five days apart for estates over $100,000. Creditors have 30 days from the final publication to file claims. Do not distribute anything to beneficiaries until this period expires.
• Wait for the grant. SDS applications may clear in 2 to 4 weeks if clean. Paper applications typically take 6 to 12 weeks.

The Alberta estate settlement guide includes annotated examples of every GA form, showing exactly what to write in each field to avoid the clerk requisitions that restart the processing clock.

Months Four Through Twelve: Closing the Estate

Once the grant is issued:

• Close and liquidate accounts. Present the sealed grant to each financial institution to release funds into the estate bank account.
• Transfer or sell real estate. File a Transmission to Personal Representative (Form TRA-1) with the Land Titles Office. Budget for the registration levy: $50 base fee plus $5 per $5,000 of property value.
• File the terminal T1 tax return. Due by April 30 of the year following death, or six months after the date of death — whichever is later. Report all income up to the date of death, including the deemed disposition of capital assets.
• File T3 estate trust returns for any income earned by the estate after the date of death.
• Apply for the CRA Clearance Certificate (Form TX19). This confirms the estate owes no further taxes. The CRA targets 120 days for processing. Do not distribute estate funds to beneficiaries before receiving this certificate — distributing early makes you personally liable for any outstanding tax debts.
• Prepare the final accounting. Document every dollar received, every expense paid, and the proposed distribution amounts. Present the accounting to all residuary beneficiaries along with a Release (Form ACC 12). Signed releases protect you from future claims.
• Distribute and close. Once the clearance certificate is in hand and all releases are signed, write the final distribution cheques and close the estate bank account.

Your Ongoing Responsibility

Until the estate is fully closed, you owe a continuous duty to the beneficiaries. You must be prepared to account for your actions at any time, and you must formally account at least every two years from the date of death. Beneficiaries can petition the court to force a formal passing of accounts if you delay.

For the complete chronological walkthrough with every form, deadline, and decision point mapped out, the Alberta estate settlement guide turns this checklist into a step-by-step system that keeps you on track from day one through final distribution.

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