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Glossary · General

Executor

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By the Money Guide editorial team · Editorial responsibility: Kaiser Khan, Editorial Director · How we check facts

Definition: The person named in a will who is responsible for administering the estate after death — collecting assets, paying debts and Inheritance Tax, and distributing what's left.

Executors apply for a grant of probate (in England and Wales) to access the deceased's assets. In Scotland the equivalent is confirmation. Executors can be held personally liable for losses caused by mistakes; many use a solicitor.

Primary source: gov.uk/applying-for-probate

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