What happens if my executors died at the same time?

Reserves are vital when running the Bank of England or managing a football team or choosing executors.

The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street must be able to handle runs on sterling and Pep Guardiola needs to have a handful of multi-million-pound stars on the bench in case of injury.

And yet many people pick only two executors to dispose of their estates after their deaths. What happens if they both die? If the deaths occur before yours or before probate has been granted, Non-Contentious Probate Rules come into force. This means the main beneficiary will usually be granted the right to administer the estate. The same would apply if the executors have renounced their roles, possibly because their circumstances have dramatically changed.

But if the deaths occur after probate has been granted, the Chain of Representation comes into force. This means the executor of your executor takes responsibility for both.

We always recommend appointing a reserve executor in a will to cover all cases like this. If you have no one suitable, we can recommend a professional trust company to undertake this role for you.

Make sure you have enough executors named in your will by contacting Heritage Will Writing on 02380 879243.