What is an Executor? How we can help.

An Executor must be someone you trust.

You can appoint any adult to be your Executor in your Will. Usually they are family members or close friends.

When there is no Will, then the law provides a specific order of priority for appointing Executors, typically starting with the surviving spouse or civil partner, followed by children, then other close relatives. Our award winning team can help you navigate this process.

We can be your professional Executor, saving time and stress and giving confidence that things are being done correctly.

An Executor is responsible for handling all your personal affairs, including investigating the estate, applying for confirmation, ingathering the estate and distributing it all. Timescales, responsibilities and roles vary depending on the size and complexity of the estate.

Executor/s will be responsible for liaising with beneficiaries, family members, debtors, utility companies, banks, selling or transferring property, calculating and paying inheritance tax, sorting unpaid bills etc. They take on responsibility for everything you leave behind.

If someone doesn’t want to be an Executor, they can decline and we can help have another Executor appointed. Similarly, if an Executor named in a Will has died, we can also help have a suitable Executor appointed. 

 If someone dies without a Will in place, however, the law dictates a specific hierarchy as to who is entitled to be appointed as Executor. Again, we can help have the relevant family member appointed in order that everything can be dealt with as efficiently as possible.  

As more and more people do not want to deal with the stress and responsibility of being Executor themselves, we offer a service whereby we become the Executor and take care of everything.  

Executors are not paid. However, they can seek reimbursement of expenses they incur such as obtaining the death certificate as long as they keep proper records and receipts.