One of the most important reasons to create a will, regardless of your age or perception of your personal wealth, is to name an executor. This is because this important role is a person who will carry out the administration of your estate after you pass away.
Their primary job is to protect any of the property that you owned until any taxes and debts have been paid and then transfer any remaining property to your heirs who are entitled to it per your wishes.
Every state has rules about who can and cannot serve as an executor of an estate. Bear in mind that just because someone does meet the statutory grounds to serve as an executor doesn’t mean they want to serve in this role or that they’ll be successful in doing so.
The basic requirements for serving as an executor in New Hampshire are that this person must be of sound mind, meaning that they have not been judged incapacitated by any court, per New Hampshire RSA 21:44,533:4. There is no statute prohibiting a person from naming an executor who has been convicted of a felony in New Hampshire.
The other requirement for an executor in New Hampshire is that the party be at least 18 years old. Potential executors can be rejected by the courts in New Hampshire when they have a conflict of interest or for any reason found to be unsuitable for serving in this role or lack the ability to make sound judgements.
Need help writing your own will or changing who is named as an executor in your current will? Our NH estate planning law firm can help.