Advice for executors dealing with an estate themselves

Many executors are happy to do most of the work themselves, but want a solicitor on hand for the parts that carry risk. We can answer a single question, check your paperwork, or deal with one difficult part of the executry.

Two cups of tea on a round oak meeting table beside a cream notepad, a fountain pen, a small brass bell and a plant

You do not have to choose between doing everything yourself and handing everything over. As an executor, you are personally responsible for dealing with the estate correctly, and a short piece of advice at the right moment can prevent a costly mistake.

Where executors most often ask for help

  • Checking the Confirmation inventory before it goes to the sheriff court
  • Working out whether inheritance tax is due, and which forms are needed
  • Dealing with legal rights for children and a surviving spouse
  • A house, particularly with joint owners, tenants or a survivorship destination
  • Debts, and what to do if the estate may not be able to pay them all
  • A family disagreement, or a claim from an unmarried partner
  • Deciding whether to decline, resign or bring in a co-executor
  • Checking the final accounts before the estate is paid out

How it works

  1. Free first appointment. Tell us what you are doing and where you need help.
  2. We agree the scope. You know exactly what we will do and what it will cost before we start.
  3. You stay in charge. We advise, check or deal with the part you choose, and hand back to you.

Know your duties

Our executor's checklist sets out every stage of the executry, and our guide on the time limits for claims against an estate explains the deadlines that matter. Joint bank accounts catch many executors out, so see our guide to joint accounts after a death. If you decide you would rather hand over the whole executry, see estate administration.

Frequently asked questions

Questions about advice for executors

Call 0141 471 9166
Can I just ask a solicitor one question about an estate?

Yes. You do not have to instruct us to deal with the whole executry. We can advise on a single issue, check a document, or deal with one part of the process.

Can you check my Confirmation forms before I send them?

Yes. Checking an inventory before it is lodged is one of the most common things executors ask us to do, and it helps avoid the application being returned by the court.

Who pays for advice to an executor?

Proper legal costs incurred by an executor in dealing with the estate are normally paid from the estate, not by the executor personally.

What if I no longer want to be executor?

You can usually decline before you start, or resign later, but a sole executor must make sure someone else takes over first. We can explain the options, including staying on and letting us do the work.

Talk to us today

Talk to us about advice for executors

Call us on 0141 471 9166 and tell us a little about the estate. One of our executry solicitors will talk you through the next steps. Your first appointment is free and there is no obligation.

If you can, have the death certificate, the will and any recent bank or pension statements to hand. If you do not have them yet, that is fine. Finding them is part of what we do. Our guides explain what a husband, wife or civil partner inherits and what happens to a joint bank account.

  • Phone 0141 471 9166
  • Office 34 Woodlands Road, Glasgow G3 6UR
  • Hours Monday and Friday 9am to 5pm, Tuesday to Thursday 8am to 6pm

The quickest way to reach us

0141 471 9166

Call to book your free first appointment, at one of our offices or by phone.

Please note that legal aid is not available for this service.

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