How to Choose an Executor

A good executor does not need financial or legal expertise, but they do need to be organised, methodical and comfortable dealing with paperwork, deadlines and other people's money. Because the role can take months, and occasionally longer for complicated estates, patience and reliability matter as much as any formal skill.

It also helps to choose someone who is likely to outlive you by a reasonable margin and who is not so closely tied up in family disputes that they would struggle to act fairly between beneficiaries. Many people choose a spouse or adult child, but a trusted friend or sibling can work equally well.

Most wills name a family member or close friend as executor, and for a straightforward estate this is usually perfectly workable, with no fee involved beyond reimbursed expenses. It also means someone who knew the deceased personally is handling their affairs.

For larger, more complex, or potentially contentious estates, some people choose a professional executor, such as a solicitor or accountant, or appoint a professional alongside a family member. Professional executors bring expertise and impartiality, but they charge for their time, which reduces what is left for beneficiaries.

A middle option is to name a family member as the main executor and a solicitor as a substitute, or to agree that the family executor can instruct a solicitor to help with the administration if needed, without giving up control of the process.

You can appoint more than one executor, and doing so spreads the workload and provides a natural check, since major decisions are usually made jointly. Two is a common choice, particularly where one executor lives further away or may be less available.

There is a practical limit, since only a maximum of four executors can take out a grant of probate in respect of the same property, so naming more than four active executors is rarely useful.

It is good practice to name at least one substitute, or reserve, executor in case your first choice dies before you, becomes unable to act, or simply chooses not to. Without a workable executor named, the court will need to appoint someone else, which can add delay.

A common structure is to appoint a spouse or partner as first executor, with an adult child or sibling as a named substitute, ensuring there is always someone available to step in.

A frequent mistake is naming someone purely out of obligation or seniority, such as always choosing the eldest child, rather than the person genuinely best suited to the practical work involved. Another is naming joint executors who do not get on, which can slow the administration considerably if they disagree over decisions.

It is also easy to forget to review the choice over time. An executor named decades ago may since have died, moved abroad, developed health problems, or simply grown less able to take on a demanding administrative task, so it is worth revisiting the decision whenever you review your will.

A professional executor is generally worth considering where the estate includes a business, overseas property, complicated investments, or where you anticipate a dispute between beneficiaries, since a neutral professional can defuse tension that a family member might struggle with.

The trade-off is cost: professional executors typically charge either an hourly rate or a percentage of the estate's value, which is paid from the estate before beneficiaries receive their share, so it is worth weighing the likely fee against the complexity actually involved.