Who shall I appoint as executer of my estate?

My mother is elderly and my children are young - my son 17 and my daughter is 13. My ex-husband has recently remarried to the woman who broke our marriage up. I want to make a will and leave most of my stuff to my kids, but I'm at a bit of a loss as to who I should choose as executer. I'm not really that close to anyone, although I do have friends, all would be quite amazed at having that responsibility.

In this situation, I would get my will worded so that the children can be executors when they reach their majority. This will soon happen with your son. You could put in a clause nominating a friend if the children aren't of age at your demise.
Don't have a solicitor or bank manager as executor, they charge the earth, although a solicitor can give executor guidance at a fraction of the cost than if they had to do the actual work.
In those circumastances, being an executor isn't that onerous, although the amount of work involved depends of the complexity of your estate.

Let your children know that you have made a will.

You don't say how old you are, but unless you have plans to shuffle off this mortal coil a bit early I guesstimate that you are anything from late thirties to early fifties. Consequently you could be around for a while yet.

If you are concerned about making a WIll, do do it properly through a solicitor - not through one of these quack Will-making firms who offer what seem to be cheap Wills. (I took some training with one and know whereof I speak - the costs mount up with every additional item if you can't say 'I leave my entire estate to....' and leave it at that!)

Your solicitor can act as Executor with one other person. If your son is close to being 18, unless you know good reason for not delaying it until he is 18, discuss with him the idea that he is also an Executor. You can then make sure that he knows what to do by leaving him a notebook of instructions. All your assets, for instance will need to be gathered together and priced: the value of your estate may escape Inheritance Tax, but if you are in any doubt, your solicitor may be able to help you avoid (not evade) that by making gifts now. He may also advise setting up a Trust Fund for your children. But when it comes down to individual bequests - what you might want to do with your jewellery, for instance, if you have particular pieces you would like to earmark for particular friends or relatives - that sort of thing can be done by your son as Executor.

Your son may be a bit put out that you are thinking about making a Will, but it is a very sensible thing to do, and furthermore, when he is 18, he is in a position where he should think about making one too, even if it is only 'I leave my MP3 player to my sister, Alice, and my ghetto -blaster to my mother so that she can play the music she likes at long last'. People who die intestate (without making a Will) leave an awful mess for their relatives to sort out, and although it is very likely that a Court would decide that your next-of-kin (your children) would cop for the lot, if there is any contestation by (say) your former husband on the grounds that he helped to pay for your goods and chattels, it could prove an expense that, if your Estate is small, would see it all gobbled up in legal fees.

Another answer is to engage a Professional Will Writer and then use a Trust Corporation, such as King's Court to be your Executor. Using a Will Writer should help keep the costs down and the Trust Corporation should outlive you.

The solicitor who writes your will for you will offer to act as executor - however, he will charge your estate for the work. Nevertheless, if you have assets, eg property, it might be better in the long run if you have an executor that knows what he is doing rather than a friend. Would the value of your assets be enough to allow for this kind of work ? Ask the solicitor. It would give you peace of mind to have your affairs well in order

I'm not sure but I think you have to have two and they must agree to do it.

This is a personal viewpoint so please treat it as such.

I would be reluctant to name a solicitor as the executor unless the will is very complex. The fees are generally based on a percentage of the estate and can quickly escalate out of all proportion to the work involved.

I would ask some of your friends if they would be willing to act until your son is 18. The will could then be rewritten. If you follow this route you must ensure that the executors named are empowered to enlist the aid of a solicitor and that the costs can be charged to your estate. This way they have control; over how much work the solicitor actually does. You will not end up paying for work which could easily be done by someone else at a much cheaper rate.

well your son will be 18 soon so i think you should put him! :)

I chose my brother but if you don't have any siblings then make sure you choose the person who you think would act most responsibly in the situation putting your children's best interests at heart. You can also leave it to your solicitor to issue the contents of your will.

Let the solicitor that prepares the will be executor. His practice will be there after you have gone and /or in the event that your children die before you. It could happen. The solicitor will take a fee from your estate but there is much greater peace of mind.

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