Generally, an estate is responsible for paying the executor a fee. This fee may be specified in the will, or it may be determined by state regulation. The executor’s fee may be waived. If the executor is an attorney, the law in most states prevents him or her from collecting both an executor’s fee and an attorney’s fee for legal advice on the estate.

Generally, an executor is entitled to be reimbursed from the proceeds of the estate for expenses incurred in settling the estate. For example, if you live in California and are named executor of an estate in New York, the estate is liable for your commuting costs.