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Estate Planning Specialists

10 articles

Executors

Practical guides on executors for UK executors and families dealing with probate.

  • Executors

    Can an Executor Also Be a Beneficiary? UK Rules Explained

    In England and Wales an executor can absolutely also be a beneficiary of the same will, and in most family wills they are. The genuine legal trap sits somewhere else entirely: if a beneficiary (or their spouse or civil partner) signs the will as a witness, section 15 of the Wills Act 1837 voids their gift while leaving the will itself valid. This guide explains the dual role, the witness forfeiture rule and how to avoid it, the conflicts of interest that can arise, and what to do if the dual role becomes unworkable.

    8 min read

  • Executors

    Can an Executor Resign or Delegate Their Duties?

    An executor in England and Wales can step back from the role, but the route depends entirely on how far they have already gone. Before touching the estate you can renounce completely with Form PA15 or have power reserved. Once you have intermeddled or taken out the grant, resignation needs a court order, but you can still lawfully delegate almost all of the practical work to a solicitor or probate specialist while remaining the named executor. This guide sets out all four options and how to choose between them.

    8 min read

  • Executors

    Estate Accounts for Executors: What to Prepare and How

    Estate accounts are the executor's formal record of everything the estate started with, everything received and spent during administration, and exactly how the remainder was distributed. This guide explains what the accounts must contain, sets out a model structure with a worked numeric example, covers who is entitled to see them and when, and shows how beneficiary sign-off protects executors from later claims. It covers England and Wales.

    7 min read

  • Executors

    Executor Duties and Responsibilities Explained

    An executor is legally responsible for winding up someone's estate: registering the death paperwork position, securing and valuing assets, reporting and paying inheritance tax, obtaining the grant of probate, settling debts, distributing to beneficiaries and producing estate accounts. This guide sets out each duty in order, the separate duties owed to beneficiaries, personal liability and how to protect against it, and how the role differs in Scotland. It covers England and Wales unless stated otherwise.

    7 min read

  • Executors

    Executor Duties Checklist: Every Task, Stage by Stage

    This is a complete, stage-gated checklist of everything an executor has to do in England and Wales, from the first week after a death through to distributing the estate, usually 9 to 12 months later. Each stage lists the tasks in the order they normally happen, so you can print the page, tick items off and see what is coming next. Scotland differences are flagged where they matter, and a short section explains how to protect yourself from personal liability along the way.

    7 min read

  • Executors

    Executor Fees in the UK: What Can You Charge?

    In England and Wales, a family member or friend acting as executor cannot charge for their time unless the will contains a charging clause. They can only reclaim reasonable out-of-pocket expenses from the estate. Professional executors, such as solicitors and trust corporations, can charge for their work, either under a charging clause in the will or under the Trustee Act 2000. This guide explains exactly who can charge what, with worked examples, and what beneficiaries can do if a fee looks too high.

    7 min read

  • Executors

    Executor House Insurance During Probate: Your Obligations for an Empty Property

    An executor is legally responsible for the deceased's property from the date of death, and that includes keeping it insured. The catch is that most standard home insurance policies restrict or suspend cover once a house has been unoccupied for a set period, often 30 or 60 days, which is almost always shorter than probate takes. This guide explains the insurance gap, the practical steps to close it in the first week, and who pays for the cover.

    4 min read

  • Executors

    Executor Step by Step Guide: What to Do After Being Named Executor

    Being named executor of a will means you are legally responsible for winding up someone's affairs, from registering the death to distributing what is left. This guide walks through the whole job in order, with realistic timeframes for each stage. It covers the one decision you must make before doing anything else (accept, renounce or reserve power), because starting the work can lock you into the role.

    8 min read

  • Executors

    The First 30 Days for Executors: What to Do When Someone Dies

    In the first 30 days after a death in England and Wales, the essential tasks are registering the death within 5 days, using Tell Us Once, securing the home and finding the will. Almost everything else can wait. This guide organises every task by deadline rather than as a flat list, separates what the next of kin does from what the named executor must do, and flags the insurance trap that catches many executors when a property is left empty.

    8 min read

  • Executors

    Renouncing Executorship vs Reserving Power: What Is the Difference?

    An executor who does not want to act has two very different exits. Renunciation using form PA15 is permanent: you give up the role entirely and can almost never take it back. Power reserved is a pause: another executor administers the estate now, and you keep the right to step in later. This guide compares the two side by side, explains the intermeddling rule that can close off renunciation altogether, and shows why power reserved is usually the safer default.

    6 min read
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