2 Answers

As far as I can tell, there is not much difference between the two except that maybe a trustee can not write checks from estate accounts to cover monies owed by the estate to businesses and such while a personal representative can. The other difference that I could find is that a personal representative is not typically named as a beneficiary. This makes them impartial when it comes to dividing the estate and more likely to execute the will exactly as it is worded. Your best bet would be to ask the person directly why they are petitioning to be personal representative when they are already the trustee of the will. 

My mom changed their will after my dad died. My bro was the executor, but he couldn't help my mom much b/c he lived in another state. So, she changed it to me . Then, when she was dying, or right after she died, unbeknownst to me, my brother put himself in the trust as the  co executor. How did he do that? It pi-----s me off. And he didn't discuss it with me ! And I heard about it 3rd hand........from the guy who handled my mom's finances. I think his wife put him up to that, b/c she's a money grubbing manipulting , possesive __________ . !!  She put him up to a lot of other non nice stuff.!