It requires an overall set of goals as to how the estate is to be managed, maintained or distributed.
All estates require proper administration and upholding fiduciary responsibilities.
Even where there is a clear estate plan set forth, a key issue the estate administrator must address for philatelic material is the valuation as of the date of death. This valuation is key to the taxation and distribution of the estate, as well as the appropriate sale of philatelic material. The careful planning of one's estate requires the preparation of a detailed inventory and valuation and a plan for distribution. Overlooked areas of estate planning include a more global view of one's distribution goals and a plan for the possibility of being incapacitated. Distribution goals must take into account the fact that the world will not be the same on the date of death as it is on eve of planning.