How many executors to a will

There is also the option of appointing professionals as Executors, such as solicitors, banks, or accountants. This can be beneficial, especially if your will is quite complicated. Appointing a professional to administer your Estate instead of someone who might also be a beneficiary can also keep things neutral. In some cases, appointing family members could result in further stress due to disagreements. When choosing a professional to act as Executor, there will be a price for their services.

This cost will often be payable out of the estate itself, as the professional will write their share of the total value of your estate into your will. Sometimes they will simply send a bill for their services once everything has been dealt with. Even when an estate is relatively small and the instructions in the will are straightforward, acting as the Executor will still be a complicated and time-consuming role.

You can name as many Executors in your will as you like, but the maximum number of people who can act as Executor at any one time is four. Get Probate are authorised and regulated non-contentious probate practitioners. We can get the Grant of Probate , leaving Executors to concentrate on other matters. Or, the Executors can appoint us as their representative and we will handle the whole probate process on their behalf.

Contact us today for your free, professional advice on any probate-related matters — on or info getprobate. This is especially true if any of the co-executors lives out of town or out of state. If the co-executors have a tendency to disagree, it can cause serious problems with getting your estate wrapped up. In cases of extreme disagreements, one executor or a beneficiary can even ask the probate court to remove one or more of the other executors, so the estate can be settled without too much delay.

As you can imagine, such disputes can result in many years of resentment—exactly what you are trying to avoid in the first place. If you are worried about discord among multiple siblings, the best solution is often to explain to the children both why you are naming only one executor for your estate and why you've chosen the particular child.

Usually, the other children see the reasonableness of the choice—and may even be relieved that they won't have the responsibility and work of serving as executor.

As a backup, you could name the other children as alternate executors of the estate. That way, if your first-choice executor does not survive you or is unable or unwilling to serve, the alternate executor takes over. This strategy lets all the children know that you trust them with your estate and just want to make sure things are handled efficiently.

There are some situations in which it can make sense to name co-executors. For example, you might want to name your spouse as your executor, but worry that he or she might not be able to handle probate of the estate alone. In that case, a co-executor can provide needed assistance, ensure that your will's instructions are followed correctly, and reassure beneficiaries that their inheritance is being handled competently. Or perhaps you own a business that your spouse isn't involved in.

Naming a business partner or attorney as co-executor will help ensure that decisions regarding the business will be handled appropriately and that your business partners' concerns will be addressed.

To learn more about making a will, check out Nolo's section on Wills. You need to appoint at least one executor of your will — but you can choose up to four people or professionals.

The first thing to think about when choosing your executors is the amount of work involved. But if the situation is more complex and requires the sale and distribution of property, you may be better off choosing a professional executor service.

Another thing to consider is whether the people you choose will appreciate having to deal with your estate. If you choose to appoint a professional executor service, there will be a fee involved for them to deal with your estate. Traditionally, this is either worked out as an hourly rate or on a percentage basis — sometimes even a combination of the two. We understand that people like knowing exactly what things are going to cost upfront, so we created a more transparent executor service called Farewill Trustees.

This is always quoted upfront, so you know exactly how much this will cost in advance. When you write a will with our online will writing service, appointing your executors is easy.

Whether you choose friends, family, Farewill Trustees or a combination of all three, you can do so in just a few clicks. Article reviewed 5 February