Executorship query

[Pipsqueak11]

My dad died recently and in his will he appointed me and a solicitor at a firm he used to use as executor.
The estate is small basically just the house and s few thousand in his current a/c .
I'm confident I could administer the estate either on my own or jointly with my brother- we are joint beneficiaries. I would like to do this firstly to minimise fees but secondly because when the same firm did my aunts probate they were useless . Rude, bolshy and patronising. They managed to take nearly 4 years to administer a similar estate .
I have asked them to relinquish the role - needless to say true to form I have not received a reply . Does anyone know what the rules are on this and if I can insist or am I lumbered with them?

You have asked them to step down. They are not under any obligation to comply with your request. However, if they refuse to do so they must explain their reasons. If you and your brother are the only beneficiaries and your brother agrees that they should step down it is unlikely they would refuse.

Thanks so much prh - my dad made the Will probably about 20 years ago and the person who he dealt with has long since retired and the firm itself has gone through many metamorphoses since and has been subsumed now into a small regional firm. my dad would not have even heard of this firm .
I'll see how I get on - now 3,weeks after I first wrote to them a secretary has replied to suggest I pop in to chat to her about it and hear what they can offer . I did explain I live 350 miles away and my brother scout 200 miles away and it would be more convenient for us to do a diy job on this but that's been ignored in the response.

I'm so sorry that you are facing this at what is always a time of heightened emotion, making everything more difficult.

It is such a warning for others, against naming a law firm as executors in the actual will. Much better to make family or friends and leave them free to pick legal advisors when the time comes.

Finally -You are so right . I'm sure my dad will have had the best of motives but it is just a pain now to resolve !