Do all executors have to apply?

No. Those who do not wish to act can have power reserved, and the rest apply. All named executors must be accounted for on the application.

Process · 5 min read

Acting as one of several executors

Executors act jointly. That means agreement on every decision — which works well when everyone is engaged, and stalls badly when someone is not.

Written and reviewed by Ramani Gill, Founder & CEO — Solicitor, TEP, BA, LLM. Last reviewed 2026-08-19.

The basic rules

A maximum of four executors can be named on a grant
All executors who apply must sign the statement of truth
Executors act jointly: signatures from all proving executors are needed to sell assets and to close accounts
An executor who does not want to act can renounce or have power reserved

Making it workable

Agree at the start who leads the correspondence
Use one shared record of assets, debts and decisions
Agree in advance how the property will be valued and marketed
Circulate estate accounts in draft before anything is distributed

Liability is joint

If a co-executor makes a mistake or takes estate money, the others can be held responsible too. Never sign a document you have not read, and keep sight of the estate bank statements.

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When executors disagree

A neutral third party, such as a solicitor, can be instructed jointly to break a deadlock
An executor can apply to court for directions on a specific question
In serious cases the court can remove an executor and appoint someone else

GOV.UK — Applying for probate

Common questions

Do all executors have to apply?: No. Those who do not wish to act can have power reserved, and the rest apply. All named executors must be accounted for on the application.

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