A complete, structured framework for Personal Representatives, Executors, and families navigating the estate settlement process.
What Is Estate Compass™?
The Estate Compass™ is a proprietary estate-settlement framework and Executor Operating System (Executor OS) developed to help families settle an estate with clarity, structure, and confidence.
It combines the COMPASS framework, the executor OS toolkit, and a clear sequence of steps that guide you from day one to final settlement.
Most Executors inherit the role suddenly, with no training, minimal instruction, and overwhelming responsibility. Estate Compass™ replaces uncertainty with an organized system—so you know what to do, when to do it, and how to keep everything on track.
Why Estate Compass™ Was Created
Estate Compass™ grew out of years of helping Michigan families through inherited-home sales, probate home sales, and estate logistics. Over and over, the same pattern appeared:
- Executors felt overwhelmed and underprepared
- No one explained the order of tasks
- Documents were scattered
- Probate rules were confusing
- Financial tracking was informal or nonexistent
- Sibling communication often broke down
- Important steps were missed because no system existed
Estate Compass™ was created to solve that.
It gives families the structure, sequence, and tools to manage the estate confidently—without guessing, Googling every step, or losing track of key decisions.
Who Created Estate Compass™
Estate Compass™ was developed by Alex Craig, a Michigan real estate professional who specializes in probate, inherited homes, estate transitions, and family property decisions.
The framework grew out of:
- Thousands of conversations with families managing estates
- Deep familiarity with Michigan probate patterns
- Direct experience helping executors through property-related tasks
- A background in systems design, real estate processes, financial tracking, and helping people navigate transitions as a Registered Nurse.
- Collaboration with Michigan attorneys, fiduciaries, and advisors
Estate Compass™ represents the best practices, repeatable patterns, and optimized workflows that consistently helped families move from chaos to clarity to completion.
What Estate Compass™ Is (and What It Isn’t)
The Estate Compass™ is a structured framework for settling an estate, a complete executor operating system, and a methodology for creating order and reducing overwhelm. It is a practical toolset to help executors track money, tasks, documents, timelines, and communication.
It works for probate and non-probate estates, simple or complex scenarios, and any family that needs structure.
The COMPASS Framework
The foundation of the Estate Compass™ system is the COMPASS Framework, a seven-part process representing the full lifecycle of settling an estate.
Each step builds on the previous one. Together, they create an estate roadmap that is easy to follow and hard to get lost within.
C: Collect
Gather essential documents, accounts, access, authority, and information. This step removes early chaos and creates a solid starting point.
Examples:
- Will, trust, legal documents
- Letters of Authority
- Property deeds
- Account statements
- Insurance information
- Tax records
Goal: Establish the foundation for everything that follows.
O: Organize
Organizing transforms a pile of paper into a structured inventory. Sort what you’ve collected into clear categories:
- Assets
- Debts
- Legal documents
- Beneficiaries
- Accounts
- Property details
Goal: Order replaces overwhelm.
M: Map
Build the estate roadmap. This is where the Executor sees the estate as a clear sequence of tasks and decisions.
Mapping includes:
- What must be done immediately
- What requires probate
- What depends on the court
- What tasks require professionals
- What items affect property sale timelines
Goal: Confusion becomes clarity.
P: Process
Execute the administrative tasks that move the estate forward:
- Notifications and reporting
- Inventory and valuation
- Property decisions (repair, sell, maintain)
- Filing requirements
- Paying necessary expenses
- Coordinating with professional
Goal: Estate movement. No stagnation, no missed deadlines.
A: Account
Accurate accounting protects the Executor and simplifies final reporting. Track all money entering and leaving the estate:
- Receipts
- Bills
- Property expenses
- Reimbursements
- Transactions
- Sales proceeds
- Supporting documents
Goal: Transparency and compliance.
S: Share
Poor communication creates conflict. Clear communication creates cooperation.
Communicate clearly with beneficiaries:
- Updates on progress
- Decisions and reasoning
- Documentation
- Timelines
- Requests for information
Goal: Protect relationships, reduce misunderstandings.
S: Sustain until Settled
Finalize the estate:
- Distributions
- Accountings
- Closing accounts
- Final documentation
- Estate closure both legally and emotionally
Goal: Completion.
The Executor OS — The Operating System Behind the Framework
Beyond the COMPASS steps, Estate Compass™ includes a set of structured tools—the Executor Operating System (Executor OS):
The Executor OS includes:
- A centralized control dashboard
- Asset and debt tracking logs
- Expense and reimbursement tracker
- Document inventory system
- Timeline planning tools
- Key decision worksheets
- Michigan-specific estate considerations
- Complete spreadsheet to handle most executor tasks
The Executor OS is the engine that powers the framework. It is what keeps the estate on course when life feels chaotic.
Who Estate Compass™ Is For
Estate Compass™ supports:
- Personal Representatives
- Executors
- Successor Trustees managing property
- Adult children settling a parent’s estate
- Families navigating probate
- Anyone who has inherited a home
- Beneficiaries coordinating together
- Out-of-state Executors managing a Michigan estate
If you are responsible for settling an estate—or expect to be—Estate Compass™ gives you the clarity and structure you need.
The Purpose of Estate Compass™
The purpose is not to make the estate simple—because it isn’t. The purpose is to make the estate manageable, organized, and clear.
For example, an executor might use Estate Compass™ to:
- List known assets and identify which ones are subject to probate
- Track outstanding debts and creditor information as notices are received
- Document key dates, filings, and responsibilities tied to estate settlement
- Maintain a clear record that can be shared with attorneys, heirs, or advisors
It gives Executors:
- Confidence
- Direction
- Order
- Protection
- A way to move forward
If you don’t know where to start, start with a Compass.