Executor Diaries: The Letter
When someone dies, we expect grief – but not always responsibility. For many people, the moment they realise they’ve been named as an executor comes with a letter, an envelope, or a quick comment that changes everything.
“I didn’t know I was the executor… until the letter arrived.”
I opened the envelope and just froze. I didn’t know what probate meant, or what an executor actually had to do. But suddenly, I was expected to handle it all – the house, the forms, the debts, the family. It all landed on me at once.
No one prepares you for this.
I assumed a solicitor would take care of everything. I thought the will would make it simple. I didn’t realise it would be me making the phone calls, chasing documents, valuing the property, trying to stay neutral when emotions flared. It’s one of the loneliest jobs I never asked for.
But I got through it. And you can too.
If you’ve just found out you’re the executor, take a breath. You’re not expected to know it all. And you don’t have to do it alone. There’s support. There’s structure. And there are people who’ve done it before – people like us, at Afterwards.uk.
