As an executor of a will, what will I have to do?

[PeeAche2]

My grandmother’s passing is imminent as she has stage 4 cancer and is very old.

She raised me, we are unusually close, and I am executor of her will. I know this is a bit weird.

I am starting to feel a little anxious about being executor but I do not plan on declining to act when the time comes. It’s just that I have never done anything like this before and I fear the unknown.

Naturally, I have Googled it. But, I’m not finding the info particularly useful. I know about probates and wills. What I really want to know is what actually happens day-to-day.

How does the ball set rolling? Will a solicitor ring me? Surely I have to actually find a solicitor. Where is the will? Am I responsible for going through her papers? Do I have to change the locks on her house if other people have keys and there is a dispute on the estate? (More on that below) Do I have to call all of her utilities and the bank? I’m just so confused and tightly wound.

I haven’t had much contact with my parents since I was born but I understand that my father and his wife are to inherit the largest portion. I also understand from gran that she has recently excluded my uncle from the will all together, on the advice of my father and his wife. 🤦🏻‍♀️
I am expecting my uncle to challenge this when the will is read. How much involvement will I have in all of that?

Could anyone here give me some examples of their experiences as an executor? Also, this is potentially a stupid question but… how long does it take? My gran’s estate is small but her family is complicated.

Thank you.

Find the will. Your authority as executor starts the moment she passes.

Your responsiblity is to administer the estate in accordance with the will. that means protecting the estate on death - insuring the property and yes, if you think others are going to disrupt the administration, change the locks. You will have to go through the papers to get an idea of the assets, but while she's alive then do ask her - it will save so much time. Get her to tell you what she's got and where she keeps the paperwork.

You can instruct a lawyer to do much of that for you, and their bill will be paid for from the estate.

Hi, sorry you're going through an anxious time.
You really must find out where the will is.
I found a helpful book (image attached) that walks you through how to administer an estate.
Don't be put off by the title it's not just about obtaining probate - there's good practical advice on most matters.
I used a good family solicitors to obtain probate but you don't need to if you want to do it yourself, in either event I'd still recommend this book for a first time executor, even if you 'outsource' some or all of the administration to a solicitor at least you can be aware of the overall steps that need to be completed.
Good luck.

Thank you so much for the recommendation. What do you mean “where the will is”? Will it be lodged with a solicitor? Or in a shoe box? I’m sorry to be so dumb. I was assigned as executor when I was about 20… which was almost 20 years ago! 😂

If you can you need to ask her where it is. Sometimes people pay a solicitor to hold others don't.

I'm going to visit my grandmother tomorrow and ask some of these questions. It is difficult though, due to the level of pain relief. She’s 10 sheets to the wind!

Find the will now.. read it to Grandma and make sure she understands what's in it. There may be time to get a new one drawn up to avoid problems later. Maybe she can write a letter explaining why she isn't leaving anything to Uncle, might help defeat any claims down the line. If the estate is small, you really can't afford anyone to be contesting it, although he's highly unlikely to get anywhere. If he makes formal objections then that will slow things down as well.
You can employ a solicitor - you need to contact them. Get recommendations through friends.
If you can't locate a will, you should write to all local solicitors asking if they have any knowledge of one.. there might be something with grandma's paper indicating the name of the firm she used. It could of course be in a box under the bed! But the firm who drew it up might have a copy and might be able to say whether it was put into safekeeping.

Yes, as executor you need to know where the will is. So you're going to need to ask that pretty soon when she has a lucid moment. You can't do anything at all if you can't find the will, and not everyone has one lodged with a solicitor. I certainly don't, but I told my DDs where it was as soon as I made it and filed it away.

If you don't know where it is and she can't tell you, then when she dies you'll need to look for it. Search her house thoroughly. Contact local firms of solicitors and ask if they have it. If there's no will then her estate passes to her children in equal shares and you may get nothing.

Hi OP, sorry to hear about your Gran.

Sadly, I have been executor 3 times in the last few years for various family members so have some experience here!

First of all, there’s no hurry to do all the probate work, take time to grieve. If you are worried about interference from others, by all means change the locks.

You can choose to pay a solicitor or probate specialist to manage the whole thing for you, but it will be expensive (the money comes out of your Gran’s estate) and you will still have to provide them with information so that they can fill out the paperwork required. Ring round for quotes, they vary widely. Some take a percentage of the estate and some offer a fixed fee service. You can also do it all yourself without a solicitor but it is a lot of work and time consuming, although not particularly difficult (it can take many months) so it depends on your personal situation. Be aware that it’s an emotional process too as you are constantly having to call people and tell them that your Gran has died. A lot depends on how much your Gran has, if she owns a house and has lots of money it’s a longer process than if she’s renting and doesn’t own much.

You will, unless you know she has a pre-paid funeral, need to find her Will fairly soon as this will be evidence for her bank to release money for her funeral. It could be anywhere, it’s probably amongst her papers at home rather than with a solicitor.

There’s a good guide on Money Saving Expert
www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/what-to-do-when-someone-dies/

Good luck and sorry for your imminent loss.

Ask her where the will is while you still can. Not being able to find a Will causes so much grief and hassle after a death, entirely needlessly.

Anyone reading this: once you have made your Will GIVE A COPY TO YOUR EXECUTORS and/or any other close family or friends

As for executor duties read this (but mostly appoint a solicitor - then all you will need to do is sign things they ask you to)

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/family/death-and-wills/dealing-with-the-financial-affairs-of-someone-who-has-died/

Is it too late to have the will redrafted to include your uncle if your gran is able to do it. It seems to me that she was forced to exclude your uncle by your father. It might be worth getting legal advice from the solicitor about this. If your dad unduly influenced your gran then you need to check that the will is actually legal & not written on the back of a cereal box witnessed by your dad and stepmum.

If you are the one to register her death with the Registrar, get a few copies of the death certificate as it speeds things up (you won't need to wait for each organisation to return it, before sending to the next). The Registrar will also give you a pack which will list who needs notifying. It's not as daunting as it seems. Your Gran chose you for a good reason, try and remember that if your family starts to misbehave.