Your Executor Has No Idea What to Do. Here's How to Help Them
- nlcteam40
- 7 days ago
- 4 min read
When you make a Will, one of the most important decisions you make is who will be your Executor. This is the person responsible for administering your Estate after you die. They handle everything from dealing with the bank to selling your property to distributing your assets to the people entitled to inherit.
It is a significant role. And for most people who get appointed as an Executor, it is also completely overwhelming. They have just lost someone they care about, and now they are expected to navigate a complex legal and financial process with no training, no support, and often no clear information about what your Estate actually contains.
Many Executors are left wondering what they are supposed to do, where they should start, and how to make sure they do not get anything wrong. The reason is simple: many people never tell them.
What Does an Executor Actually Need to Know?
An Executor needs to understand what your Estate contains. They need to know where your important documents are kept. They need to know about any debts or financial obligations. They need to understand who is entitled to inherit and in what amounts. They need to know if there are any specific wishes you have about how certain assets should be handled.
Without this information, your Executor has to go on a treasure hunt. They have to try to find bank accounts, work out what property you owned, track down insurance documents, contact pension providers, and piece together a picture of your Estate from scratch. This takes months. It causes stress. It opens the door to mistakes.
And many times, even when your Will is in place, it does not contain enough information for your Executor to actually do their job effectively.
The Problem: Wills Are Not Instruction Manuals
A Will tells your Executor who you want to inherit and in what amounts. That is important. But it does not tell them where to find your bank accounts. It does not tell them whether you have Trusts in place, or insurance policies, or investments held elsewhere. It does not tell them about any debts, or whether you wanted specific items to go to specific people, or what your wishes are around the property.
A Will is a legal document. It is not an instruction manual for how to administer your Estate. Many Executors are left reading the Will and then having absolutely no idea where to start.
This is where a Letter of Wishes becomes invaluable. This is a separate document that sits alongside your Will and contains all the practical information your Executor needs to actually carry out their role. Where your bank accounts are. Which financial institutions you hold money with. Whether you have any loans or debts. Contact details for any professional advisers you work with. Any specific wishes about the property, or particular items, or how you want your funeral handled.
A Letter of Wishes cannot override your Will, and it has no legal force. But it provides your Executor with the roadmap they need to actually do their job without having to contact dozens of different organisations to piece it all together.
What Information Should Your Executor Have?
At a minimum, your Executor should know:
Where your original Will is kept and how to access it. Details of all bank and savings accounts. Information about property you own and any mortgages. Details of insurance policies and pensions. A list of any investments or Trusts. Information about any debts or loans. Contact details for your accountant, financial adviser, or any other professional. Details of any business interests. Instructions about your funeral or any specific wishes. A list of people who might need to be contacted or informed. Any passwords or access details they may need to gather information (though be careful with storing these).
Most people have never written any of this down. Their Executor has to ask questions, wait for responses, and slowly build a picture of what they are dealing with. It is inefficient. It delays things. And it creates stress at a time when your Executor is already grieving.
How This Affects the Timeline
When your Executor has clear information about your Estate from day one, the process of administering it is faster and smoother. When they have to go searching for information, make phone calls, wait for responses, and try to work out what you owned, everything takes longer.
In some cases, what should take three to four months can drag on for much longer simply because key information was not available at the start. And throughout that time, your Executor is managing the process while also dealing with the emotional weight of your death.
This is not fair to them. And it is not good for your Estate or your Beneficiaries either.
How LCS Legal Can Help
At LCS Legal, our specialists support you and your Executor at every stage of the process. We can assist with:
Preparing a Letter of Wishes alongside your Will, giving your Executor a clear and practical roadmap.
Executor Support, guiding your appointed Executor through the administration process so they are never left figuring things out alone.
Will preparation and review, ensuring your Will contains everything your Executor needs to carry out your wishes correctly.
Stand Alone Probate Support for Executors who need professional guidance through the administration process.
Don't Leave Your Executor in the Dark
Appointing an Executor is one of the most important decisions in your Will. But the decision does not end there. What matters equally is giving them the information and support they need to actually carry out the role.
A Will on its own is not enough. Your Executor needs to know what your Estate contains, where things are located, and what your specific wishes are around how things should be handled. Without that information, even the most capable Executor is starting blind.
At LCS Legal, our experienced specialists help you prepare your Estate Plan in a way that truly supports your Executor, making the process clearer, faster, and less stressful for everyone involved.
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