Do not treat this casually. An executor should not choose a fee or pay personal compensation from estate funds without confirming authority, reasonableness, documentation, tax treatment, the will, court requirements, and the accounting process. Reimbursement for supported estate expenses is different from compensation for services, and both should be recorded clearly.
Read the will and appointment papers first
The will may address compensation, and the Probate Division’s orders and current law govern the fiduciary’s authority. A nominated executor should not assume that work performed before appointment, family agreement, or access to estate funds authorizes payment.
Build a contemporaneous work record
Keep dates, tasks, time, complexity, travel, property work, communications, and results in an orderly log. Separate executor work from services performed as a beneficiary, family member, property occupant, contractor, accountant, or lawyer. Avoid duplicate compensation and undisclosed conflicts.
Address tax and beneficiary communication
Executor compensation may be treated differently from an inheritance for income-tax purposes. Explain proposed compensation through the appropriate accounting or approval process, preserve supporting records, and obtain advice when the amount, role, will language, family relationships, or professional services create uncertainty.