Their responsibilities include:
- Collecting the deceased’s assets;
- Paying any outstanding debts;
- Preparing accounts detailing the assets and liabilities in the estate;
- Distributing the estate in accordance with the Will (or intestacy rules in the event that there is no Will).
The Executor has a duty to carry out these tasks and to do so without any undue delay. If you are a beneficiary, you may feel that the Executor is failing to comply with their duties and that they are not acting in your interests.
Alternatively, if you are one of two or more Executors you may feel that another Executor is delaying the process or failing to comply with their duties.
In either case, you may be able to apply to the court to have an Executor removed from their role.
You may also be able to pursue a claim to recover any losses that might have been caused to the estate by the Executor’s breach of duty.
Our Dispute Resolution Team are regularly instructed to act in relation to disputes relating to the administration of estates and have acted in numerous applications to remove Executors, both on behalf of Claimants and Defendants. We will aim to identify your goals and the most effective ways of achieving your aims at the outset of your case. We will try to resolve your case without the need for court proceedings wherever possible and we are skilled in all forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution (including mediation).
The steps cohabiting couples should take when drawing up a will
There’s no denying the huge steps forward seen in creating equality for same-sex couples in the UK during the 21st Century, first with the Civil Partnership Act 2004 and then the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013. However, as heterosexual couples have marriage as the only option open to them to make their relationship formal, there have been suggestions of a new inequality having now been created. A legal challenge by mixed-sex couple Rebecca Steinfield and Charles Keidan to be able to enter into a civil partnership instead of a marriage was unsuccessful earlier this year, meaning it’s unlikely the situation will change for heterosexual couples in the near future.
Wills and Planning for the Inevitable
Research just published underlines how ill-prepared most people are in terms of their end of life planning.
The Jones Family: Family Wills Bundle
Wills for everyone in the family can be expensive. Read about our exclusive Family Wills Bundle offer, easily explained by the Jones family, here!
Why Should I Use A Solicitor To Make A Will?
There are lots of quick and cheap ways to write a will, so why do people use legal professionals? Open the infographic to find out why...
