text: what does it mean in a will when it says "i direct that all my just debts to be paid by me executrix"? i am listed as the executrix and if this means have i will have to pay the debts i wont be able to since i have no money to do so. i am also listed in the will. no, no. i'm a lawyer and remember this from my wills & trusts class :)  here you go: it means that the person who is deceased (the dead peerson) directs you to pay his/her "just debts"- that is, the debts that they owe out of their money- not yours. if anything, an executrix gets a small percentage of the total estate! my friend got 3% of a $500,000 estate when her mother died last year- about $13,000. so, again, this means you pay the dead person's debts with their money before the gifts in the will are passed to the heirs. this prevents a dead person from forgetting about their financial responsibilities- right? :) hope that helps!