Do Executors Have to Agree?

Where a will appoints more than one executor, they are generally required to act jointly, meaning significant decisions, such as how to value or sell assets, how to interpret ambiguous parts of the will, or how to distribute the estate, need to be agreed between them rather than made unilaterally by one executor alone.

This does not mean every small task needs joint sign-off. In practice, executors often divide day-to-day administrative work between them for convenience, while reserving major decisions for joint agreement, and many bank accounts and formal applications require signatures from all acting executors regardless.

Disagreements between joint executors are not unusual, particularly where they have different views on timing, such as whether to sell a property quickly or wait for a better price, or different interpretations of what the will maker intended. Left unresolved, these disagreements can significantly delay the administration and, in some cases, increase costs to the estate.

Where a disagreement is relatively minor, it is often best resolved through direct conversation, sometimes with the help of a solicitor advising the estate, who can provide a neutral, informed perspective on the options available and help the executors reach a workable compromise.

If executors genuinely cannot agree, and the disagreement is preventing the estate from being administered, there are formal routes available, including mediation, which can help executors reach a resolution without going to court, or, in more serious or intractable disputes, an application to the court for directions or, in rare cases, to have an executor removed.

Removing an executor through the court is a significant step, generally reserved for situations involving misconduct, incapacity, or a complete breakdown that is genuinely preventing the estate from being administered, rather than ordinary disagreements over approach or timing. It also involves cost, which is usually paid from the estate, reducing what beneficiaries ultimately receive.

In general, one joint executor cannot simply proceed without the others on significant matters, since financial institutions, the Probate Registry and land registries typically require signatures or agreement from all acting executors for major transactions such as selling property or closing accounts.

There are limited exceptions, and executors can sometimes agree between themselves, or through the terms of the grant of probate, that one of them takes the lead on day-to-day matters, but this generally requires the others' consent rather than being something one executor can impose unilaterally.

The most effective way to avoid this problem is to think carefully, when writing your will, about whether the people you are considering as joint executors have a good working relationship and communicate well, rather than appointing several people purely out of a sense of fairness or obligation.

Where you are unsure, an alternative is to appoint one primary executor with others named as substitutes rather than joint executors from the outset, or to appoint a professional executor alongside a family member to provide a more neutral influence if family members might otherwise struggle to agree.