Executor of Will Alex Truesdale Wills In Cobham Surrey

Executors of a Will, What Are They?

Executor of Wills: Appointing the right executors in your Will is one of the most important decisions you will make for your heirs. This guide covers what you and they need to know about the role and the qualities and skills to look for in an executor.

Alex Truesdale Wills Limited: A professional Will writing service based in Cobham and services clients throughout Surrey, Kent, London and the South East of the UK. 

Call: 07887 946557  to discuss Will writing, executors and any future estate planning needs.

Executors of a Wills

Executors: Selecting the right executors for your Will is one of the most important decisions you will make for your heirs. This guide covers what you and they need to know about the role and the qualities and skills to look for in an executor.

Alex Truesdale Wills Limited: A professional Will writing service based in Cobham and services clients throughout Surrey, Kent, London and the South East of the UK.

Call: 07887 946557 to discuss Will writing, executors and any future estate planning needs.

Executors

Executors are the individuals you appoint in your Will to administer your estate. It is normal to appoint between one and four executors and it may be sensible to consider appointing alternates.

Executors’ Responsibilities:

  • Making funeral arrangements and ensuring they conform to your wishes
  • Locating your original Will
  • Applying to court for the Grant of Probate
  • Completing Inheritance Tax and Income Tax returns where applicable
  • Opening and operating an Executor’s account
  • Collecting in all your assets
  • Paying your debts, funeral expenses, court fees and outstanding Inheritance and Income Tax
  • Distributing your assets in accordance with the Will once Probate has been obtained
  • Maintaining records and keeping receipts should there be any subsequent challenge

Appointing Executors

The appointment of good executors may be one of the most important gifts that you can make to your heirs. The right decisions made by executors can have direct financial benefits in terms of minimising the amount of inheritance tax paid on the estate or maximising the value of that estate. Choosing the right executors can also maximise the speed with which the estate is dealt with, as well as minimise the distress generated in what is invariably a difficult time.

The last thing that most people making a Will would want is their family “falling out” after their death. But stressful life events, such as divorce or death, have a tendency to bring out the worst in people – and this is, sadly, increasingly the case now that so many families now include step-parents, step-children or half-brothers and sisters.

This makes the appointment of an executor more than simply the selection of someone you can trust and who has the necessary skills, time and resources to deal with the complexities of guiding an estate through probate.

A good “lay” executor should, ideally, possess the following qualities:

  • Honesty
  • Conscientiousness
  • Impartiality
  • Diplomacy
  • Strong communication skills
  • Diligence
  • Awareness of the limitations of their knowledge so that they can seek professional assistance if necessary
  • Further factors relevant to your choice of lay executor may include:
    • Willingness to act
    • Age
    • Location
    • Physical, mental and emotional resilience – executorship is a demanding task which must be carried out at a very difficult time

Alternatively, you may decide to appoint professional executors – whose professional fees, payable out of the estate, are normally calculated based on a percentage value of the estate. Banks, solicitors, and accountants all offer executorship services either on hourly rates or charging a percentage of the overall value of the estate.

Although professional executors can save time, tax and the burdens attached to administering an estate, the main area where professional executors can help is in being detached, so that they can make decisions – sometimes difficult ones – in the interests of the beneficiaries as a whole, without having any vested interests themselves.

We are able to recommend professional executors (please do ask for details), and as part of our Estate Administration services, we can act in an advisory capacity to executors.

Need help getting started on thinking about the future?

Send an online enquiry or email info@alextruesdalewills.com for expert advice and guidance on your Will writing and estate planning needs.

Helping Your Executors

Whether you appoint professional or lay Executors, there are several simple steps you can take to make their task as easy as possible:

  • Maintain a list of assets – bank accounts, investments, shareholdings, insurance policies and so on – together with all necessary account reference numbers and contact details. Don’t forget internet accounts and digital assets
  • Ensure that your original Will and associated documents are stored safely and that your executors know where they are and how to access them
  • Leave a sealed copy of your Will with your executors together with details of your preferred funeral arrangements and your funeral pre-payment plan (essential to avoid cash flow difficulties for your executors)
  • Draw up a list of the individuals and institutions you would wish to be notified in the event of your death
  • Talk to your executors in advance to ensure they are happy to act and understand your wishes
  • Ask us for a copy of our new LifeFile.

Client Testimonials

“After many years putting off writing my Will I finally entrusted Alex Truesdale with the task of compiling it for me and my family. My main wish was to pass my estate on to my son, and have guardianship put in place, should the worst happen before he came of age. Alex guided us through the difficult and emotional process with the utmost professionalism and put us at ease from the outset. She was able to address all of the issues we put to her and brought up many we had not considered regarding our estate.

“As we were about to travel abroad, we were also on a very tight schedule for the wills to be drawn up and signed. Alex went above and beyond to make sure everything was in place for us in the allotted time, even to the point of being personally on hand to instruct ourselves and our witnesses during the signing procedure.

“In using Alex Truesdale Wills, we now feel totally secure if the worst should happen our affairs are in order. We will be continuing to draw on her knowledge as and when our wills need updating in the future and are delighted to recommend her first class service.”

BW, May 2018

“Very clear explanation of what the options and implications were for us. It was also good to have someone focused on the end result we had to get to, as it’s very easy on your own to leave to another day.”

EM, September 2018

“Thank you again for helping me sort out all our Wills and the funeral plan for my godmother. I cannot believe how timely that was bearing in mind today’s situation. Only good news from her care home so far, but to know that resources are there to help the staff directly if the worst happens certainly gives me peace of mind.”

SC , May 2020

“We would like to thank you for your professional help in getting us to a point of having signed Wills after many years of procrastination. Not only that your advice gave us the impetus to arrange a Civil Partnership and we now feel that we have got at least some of our affairs in order in these worrying times.”

KB, September 2020

“Alex arranged an appointment for my husband and I to update our Wills in view of a change in family circumstances.  She was organised, efficient and extremely sensitive to our needs. We discussed advance directives and lasting powers of attorney in-depth – things we had only considered in vague terms previously but realised how intelligent it was to sort them out early.

“I cannot fault Alex’s professionalism and caring attitude, and will be recommending her service to my friends and colleagues.”

SM, September 2019

“I have known Alex Truesdale for over 6 years, during which time she prepared Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney for my sisters and assisted us in the administration of my sister Elizabeth’s estate after her death in 2018.  I testify to her attention to detail, her knowledge and experience in her work and the warmth of her communications whether by letter, by telephone or in person.  She responds to us quickly and we have full confidence in what she does on our behalf and on her advice on various aspects. She has a good network of people when particular advice is needed beyond her field of expertise or training.  She became a friend to us as a family.  I gladly recommend her services to others.”  

KH, July 2020

“The support Alex gave me and my husband after our Wills and LPAs were finalised was second to none especially as he was diagnosed with a terminal illness a few months later. This ongoing support, advice and bringing in other specialists to assist was outstanding and I felt that we were in very good hands and would continue to be when the inevitable happened.

After my husband died, the comfort of knowing all was in order with the Wills was a great relief and her help in the immediate aftermath was much appreciated. It wasn’t just the professionalism but the genuine concern for my situation and that of the family. Alex then continued to guide me through the process and through some pretty complicated issues relating to the estate administration. She always responded to my copious emails and phone calls with clarity, efficiency and care.

The whole process was dealt with in a timely manner and to a very high standard and I felt that I was being looked after like one of her own family.

I can’t recommend Alex highly enough – a very talented professional dedicated to her work with a heart of gold.”

JD, July 2020

Will Writing And Estate Planning From Alex Truesdale Wills

Alex Truesdale Wills Limited offers a professional and personal Will writing service, giving you flexibility and control for the present and your loved one’s peace of mind about the future.

Contact Alex Truesdale today to arrange a free, no-obligation initial consultation, virtual meetings or face to face.