During an emotional time, like the passing of someone close, finding out one has been appointed an executor of a will may not be something one looks forward to. At times like these the last thing we want to do is dealing with paper work, finances or any other tasks requiring clear mind and focus. Luckily, no one can be made to perform those duties. If you feel it is too much to handle or you think you are not the right person to do it, you can simply renounce your role as an executor.
It is a rather straight forward procedure.
All you have to do is sign the renunciation form in order to assure the form’s validity. There are no special forms as such, which you can obtain and fill, it is rather a statement declaring you do not wish to perform an executor duties and you relinquish your right to do so. However, it is strongly advisable to use services of a solicitor for authentication. That way you will avoid possible future questions regarding credibility. Fees vary from £10 upwards. If you feel confident to draft the statement yourself you may use solicitor solely for the purpose of validation, but if you would rather just sign and have someone else put fancy words on a paper you are free to ask your solicitor to do so.
Once it’s done, you may want to speak to the other interested parties or relatives of the deceased and inform them of your decision. After all, somebody will have to take care of an estate of the dearly departed and together you may decide who that might be. If, in any case, none of you wish to take that responsibility upon themselves, yet again you might want to find a reliable solicitor who, for a certain fee, will be able to help.
