What happens if beneficiaries can't be found?
A UK guide for executors faced with missing beneficiaries — what enquiries are required, how tracing agents and Benjamin orders work, and how to write a will that is easier to administer.
Insights & guides
Executors & probate
Choosing executors and what they actually do.
What happens if your will is unclear or badly written?
A UK guide to ambiguous, contradictory, and badly drafted wills — what executors do, how courts interpret them, and how to write a clear will that holds up.
What happens if a will is contested?
Validity challenges, 1975 Act claims, time limits and how to write a will that is much harder to contest - a UK explainer.
How to store your will safely
Home safe, solicitor, the Probate Service, banks and the National Will Register - a UK guide to storing your will so it can be found.
What happens if your executor refuses to act?
Renunciation, power reserved, and what beneficiaries can do if an executor stalls - a plain-English UK guide.
Who cannot witness a will?
Beneficiaries, their spouses, under-18s and others who can invalidate gifts in a will if they sign as witnesses - a UK explainer.
How many witnesses do you need for a will?
Two adult witnesses, both present at the same time - a UK guide to the Wills Act 1837 section 9 rule and how to sign a will correctly.
What is an executor and what do they do?
A plain-English UK guide to the executor role: what they do, who can be one, how many to name, and how to choose well.
What happens to your bank accounts when you die?
A UK guide to bank accounts after death — sole and joint accounts, frozen funds, probate thresholds and what executors can do early.
What happens to your debts when you die?
How debts are handled in a UK estate — what passes to family, what gets written off, and the executor responsibilities involved.
How long does probate take in the UK? Realistic timelines for 2026
A stage-by-stage view of the UK probate process - from death registration to final estate distribution - with realistic 2026 timeframes.
Can an executor also be a beneficiary? What UK law actually says
Yes, you can appoint a beneficiary as an executor in the UK - here is when it works, when it backfires, and how to set it up properly.