What is an Executor and who can I nominate?
2 August 2022
An Executor is the person who carries out the terms of your Will upon your death. An Executor is someone you nominate within your Will. They are the one who has to make sure that the terms of the Will are followed and that the correct people receive their inheritance at the correct time. They are also responsible for things like ensuring that your debts are all paid off and funeral expenses are paid before any inheritance passes to your beneficiaries.
It’s a really important role and one that a lot of people take on without realising how much work is involved. It can include everything from completing tax returns and making sure your tax affairs are in order (both prior to your death and after death), all the way through to locating beneficiaries that they’ve never even heard of before.
If somebody is named in a Will as a beneficiary the Executor’s job is to track that person down to ensure they receive their inheritance regardless of whether they know them or know how to track them. It’s a legal obligation that they’ve got so it’s really important to choose your Executors very well.
Here is a video recorded by Joint Head of Wills, Probate & Trusts, Lauren Smith:
Our Wills, Probate & Trusts team are experts in writing Wills. If you have any questions or queries with anything regarding a Will, then our team can be reached by calling 01302 341 414 or by filling out our online enquiry form!
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