Image credit: Shutterstock/ Inside Creative House
Get all our latest money stories and exclusive offers direct to your inbox. Sign up here.
This article is for general guidance only and is not financial or professional advice. Any links are for your own information, and do not constitute any form of recommendation by Saga. You should not solely rely on this information to make any decisions, and consider seeking independent professional advice. All figures and information in this article are correct at the time of publishing, but laws, entitlements, tax treatments and allowances may change in the future.
When you’re asked to be someone’s executor it can be difficult to say no. To be honest, I said yes with little idea of what the job involved. Fast-forward four years and I’ve been an executor twice, and it was a lot more work than I anticipated.
And I’m not alone in finding the job hard. Research by Canada Life found that one in five of us have been executors, and 26% said it took an emotional toll on them,with many reporting unexpected problems along the way.
Whether you’re choosing executors for your will or are readying yourself for the job, here are six lessons I learnt.
What’s on this page?
I now advise friends and family to think carefully before agreeing to the job. When I recently updated my own will, choosing executors was the hardest part. It’s a time-consuming job that is only getting more complicated as the government’s tax policy (including inheritance tax on pensions from April 2027) drags more of us into paying death duties.
Liz Hardie, technical specialist in tax, trusts and estate planning at Canada Life, says: “Being an executor of a will is a big responsibility that many agree to, without realising the full scope of what is required of them.”
Gone are the days when tying up someone’s estate took a few weeks. It now regularly takes up to a year for all the wishes in someone’s will to be carried out and their affairs concluded.
Delays in getting probate granted are part of the problem, but estates have also become more complicated. Even simple estates involve multiple organisations – banks, insurers, HMRC, the probate office. As the executor, it’s your responsibility to contact them all, get the paperwork you need and then access the deceased’s accounts to distribute everything according to the will.
Set aside regular time to work through tasks and chase paperwork. Breaking it into small chunks helps it feel less overwhelming. It’s rarely quick, but with patience and organisation, you’ll get there.
The first time I was an executor it was for my great-aunt. I was lucky, because her stepson, my co-executor, lived nearby and took on the bulk of the work. He spent weeks clearing her home and selling her car and furniture. He also regularly visited her bungalow for almost a year to make sure it was safe and secure until probate was granted and we were finally able to complete the sale.
If I’d been doing it alone, it would have meant an hour-long round trip each time.
If you’re choosing executors, it’s worth appointing someone who can get to your property without too much effort.
Both times I have been an executor, there have only been two of us. This has made it quite straightforward to make decisions and get paperwork signed.
My husband’s experience has been different. He is one of four executors for his father’s estate, along with his siblings and mother. I’m sure his father thought that was the fairest option, but it slows everything down. There are documents that must be posted around the country for multiple signatures, and every decision requires group calls or long WhatsApp threads. Thankfully, they’ve all got along, but many families aren’t so lucky.
I’d strongly recommend having no more than two executors to keep things simple.
One of the biggest shocks for me was how much responsibility was on my shoulders when it came to tax. It is the executor’s responsibility to gather all the information and pass it on to HMRC.
But that isn’t all. When it comes to inheritance tax, it’s also your job to calculate how much, if any, is due and ensure it is paid. The problem with that is you must pay inheritance tax within six months, but probate often takes longer. That means you could find yourself having to fund the tax bill then reimburse yourself out of the estate once probate has been granted.
There is also the threat of HMRC coming knocking on your door if they decide down the line that your figures were wrong. Executors are on the hook to pay any corrections in tax if the beneficiaries can’t or won’t repay.
My advice, if inheritance tax is likely to be an issue, is to get an accountant involved – then you know the sums are correct. You can deduct their fees from the estate.
While we handled the legwork ourselves both times I have been an executor, we’ve had a competent solicitor to help us. I didn’t know until I started writing about the job of being an executor that there are professionals out there that will either do it for you or help you along.
Professional executors can be solicitors or specialist estate management services. They can handle anything from helping with the paperwork to looking after a property during probate to taking over the process. Their fees are paid out of the estate – assuming there is enough to cover them – and they can be invaluable in reducing the stress that can come with being an executor.
I’ve appointed a professional executor in my own will as I don’t want to place the whole burden onto family members.
Being an executor doesn’t have to leave you out of pocket. Whether you are forking out for postage, copies of the death certificate or professional fees, you’re allowed to reclaim all your expenses from the estate.
A simple spreadsheet to log expenses and a folder for receipts will do the trick. Keeping track as you go along will make it a lot easier to get reimbursed in the end.
Being an executor is a big job and agreeing to the job or appointing someone shouldn’t be a light decision. It’s demanding, emotional and sometimes thankless. But honouring someone’s last wishes is also a hugely rewarding act of care.
I like to talk about the drawbacks of being an executor in the hope I help other people go into it with their eyes open, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t do it again. I would just always be prepared to get professional help if I needed it.
.jpg?la=en&h=550&w=1440&hash=D75E80A351D1CBC72428B436C3C3EE4F)
Get a FREE review of your will and £50 off follow-up services with Saga Legal. T&Cs apply. Ends 28/02/26. Quote SAGAFLR50.
Explore your options, from instalment plans to a 'grant on credit' from HMRC.
Discover the 6 common areas that attract the taxman’s attention – and 3 ways to avoid a probe.
.jpg?la=en&h=650&w=1440&hash=96F3D5D71B6EB83F025200382F7B387E)
