Executor Checklist UK: Estate Administration Task List

What this is for

Dealing with an estate in England and Wales usually takes months, and much of that time is spent waiting: for a bank to reply, for a valuation, for HMRC, for the Probate Registry. It is easy to lose track of which step comes next, and even easier for relatives to lose track of who is doing what. This task list sets out the usual steps in a sensible order, so the executor or administrator can see the whole job at once and pick up where they left off after a gap.

It is an Excel workbook with one working tab, Tasks. Sixteen common steps are already filled in, from finding the original will through valuing the estate, applying for probate, paying any Inheritance Tax, placing a deceased estates notice in The Gazette, and finally sharing out the estate and getting receipts from each beneficiary. Each row has a Stage, an Owner, a Status, a Due by date, a Done on date and a Notes column. A Progress figure at the top shows how much of the list is finished, counting Done and Not needed together.

Not every estate needs every step. A small estate held mostly in joint names may not need probate at all, and many estates have no Inheritance Tax to pay. In Scotland the court process is confirmation rather than probate, and Northern Ireland has its own procedures, so adjust the rows to suit. The list is an organiser, not legal advice. If the estate includes a business, property abroad, a dispute between beneficiaries or tax to pay, a solicitor can guide you through the steps, and this list will show them what has already been done.

How to fill it in

1. Open the workbook and read the instructions tab once. Then go to Tasks. The rows are in a rough order, grouped by Stage: Getting started, Inventory, Tax, Probate, Money, Debts and Closing.
2. Go down the list and mark anything that clearly does not apply as Not needed in the Status dropdown. For example, if everything was held jointly and the bank has confirmed it will release the money without a grant, the probate row may not be needed. Write the reason in Notes, so the decision is recorded.
3. Put a name in Owner for every remaining row. It can be the executor, a co-executor, a relative helping out or the solicitor. One named person per task works better than "family".
4. Use Due by for dates that matter. The main fixed one is Inheritance Tax: if any is owed, it must be paid by the end of the sixth month after the death, and HMRC charges interest after that. Any Due by date that passes while the task is not Done or Not needed turns amber, which makes overdue work easy to spot.
5. Change the Status as things move: To do, In progress, Waiting, Done or Not needed. Waiting is useful for the long gaps, such as a bank processing a claim or the Probate Registry handling an application. When a task is finished, type the date in Done on.
6. Write reference numbers, the names of people you spoke to and the next action in Notes. Keep the detail for each account in the assets and debts register and the costs in the executor expenses log; this tab is the overview.
7. Add your own rows at the bottom and choose Other as the Stage if nothing else fits: selling a car, clearing the house, ending a tenancy, a claim against a life policy.
8. Share it through Google Sheets if other family members are involved. Everyone sees the same Progress figure and the same Owner names, which cuts down on update calls.

A filled-in example

Common mistakes

• Sharing out money before the Gazette notice period has ended. The notice gives creditors at least two months to come forward, and it protects the executor from debts they did not know about. Paying beneficiaries early can leave you personally responsible if a debt appears.
• Treating the list as fixed. It is fine to mark rows Not needed, reorder them or add new ones. What matters is that each decision is written down.
• Leaving the Owner column blank. When nobody is named, tasks sit untouched while each person assumes someone else is dealing with it.
• Forgetting the Inheritance Tax payment date while waiting for other things. If tax is due, it is due by a fixed date whether or not probate has been granted.
• Not recording why a step was skipped. A short note such as "joint account, passed to Jean" saves a lot of explaining when a beneficiary or solicitor asks later.