If you have been appointed personal representative (or executor) of a friend or loved one's estate, you may feel both honored and slightly nervous. Most people have very little idea what is entailed with this task, and not knowing can raise the anxiety level. Being prepared ahead of time is key, so read on to get a quick over-view of the major duties of the personal representative.

1. Get organized and gather documents. Try to prioritize locating the following important documents, most of which will be needed immediately or shortly after the death occurs.

• The will
• Life insurance policies
• Key and location of any lock boxes, safes, or safe deposit boxes at the bank.
• Real estate deeds
• Tax returns
• Trusts
• Bank, retirement, and investment account information

2. Have plans for the funeral and burial. Many people include instructions in their will, some have a plan on file with the funeral home, some people have written instructions but many have no specific instructions. If you are not a member of the family, allow them to make decisions about the burial if there are no known instructions available. You must ensure that there are funds available for the funeral and burial, however. Life insurance polices are often used, but any available funds may be used for that purpose.

3. Go to the reading of the will. Usually done at the estate attorney's office. You (and other pertinent parties) will receive a copy of the will before it is filed with probate court. Read it carefully, and remember you must abide by the wishes of the deceased when it comes to the property distribution of the estate. The attorney will see to it that a notice to any potential creditors is published in a local newspaper for a specified period of time.

4. Keep certain bills of the estate paid. You will need to work closely with the estate attorney when it comes to paying the bills of the estate. Some must be paid right away and some must wait until probate is complete.

5. Speaking of paying bills, income tax returns must be filed and any taxes owed must be filed on time. Keep in mind that individuals whose income is low enough may not need to file taxes.

6. Distribute death certificates, as needed. Usually available a few weeks after the death, order several copies to provide to creditors, banks, and other financial institutions and insurance companies.

7. Notify the Social Security Administration of the death.

8. Once probate is complete, you must distribute the estate to any named beneficiaries.

For more in-depth information about the duties of the personal representative, contact an estate attorney or visit a website like http://www.lynnjackson.com.