What to leave behind to make life easier for your executor

Last verified: September 2026 (England and Wales)

The most useful things you can leave your executor are a Will that reflects your wishes, a clear route to its signed original, and practical records showing what you own, what you owe and who to contact. Personal wishes and secure digital-access information complete the picture.

An executor is the person appointed in your Will to deal with your estate after your death. A little preparation now can save them hours of searching and help them understand the decisions you have made.

You can start with the essentials and build from there. If you are already dealing with a death, go to First steps after someone dies for the immediate arrangements.

Make the original Will easy to find

Tell your executors where the signed original Will is held, who can release it and whether there are any codicils, which are formal amendments to a Will. A scan is useful for reference, but it is not a routine substitute for the original when applying for probate.

Professional document storage through Fern uses National Will Safe and includes registration of the Will’s location. It gives your executors a clear retrieval route. Professional storage is optional; wherever you keep the original, it needs to be safe and accessible to the appropriate person when required.

Keep a separate note of where related documents are held, including any trust papers, property records and Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs). The original documents do not all have to be in the same folder if their locations are clear.

Keep personal wishes alongside the legal instructions

A Letter of Wishes can explain personal priorities, sensitive family circumstances, funeral preferences and the reasoning behind your choices. It is guidance, not a legally binding document, and cannot change your Will or override a trust.

For personal belongings, it can record preferences where your Will allows that approach. If you want to ensure a particular person receives an item, discuss including an effective gift in the Will. A separate list cannot override a gift already made there.

Tell the people likely to arrange your funeral about important preferences and any existing funeral plan. They may need that information before the Will is retrieved.

Leave a clear picture of your affairs

Your executor needs to know what exists and where the supporting information can be found. Aim for one clear starting point covering:

·        Money and commitments: accounts, savings, investments, pensions, insurance, mortgages, other debts and regular payments.

·        Property and possessions: homes, land, vehicles, valuables, ownership records and anything kept elsewhere.

·        People and evidence: advisers, providers, reference numbers and the location of statements, policies and important correspondence.

·        Less obvious arrangements: business or trust interests, overseas assets, money lent to others and records of substantial lifetime gifts.

Record provider and scheme details even where a pension or policy may pay outside the estate. Your executor or adviser can establish how it is dealt with. You do not need to resolve the legal or tax treatment before recording that it exists.

Use the practical records that suit you

Fern’s Life & Legacy Logs provide structure if you would find that helpful. The Property Log covers physical assets and their supporting information. The Finance Log covers accounts, liabilities and financial contacts. The Lifetime Gifts Log preserves gifting records, while the Passwords & Access Codes Log supports a separate, secure record of access arrangements.

Choose the records that fit your circumstances. Their purpose is to help people find useful information; they do not replace your Will or professional advice.

Include the details someone may need quickly

Make it easy to find the home insurer’s details, the location of keys, essential household instructions and the contacts for anyone who depends on you. Include pet-care arrangements, medication routines and vet details where relevant.

Keep alarm codes and other sensitive security information in the secure access record, rather than in a widely shared household list. Someone can know where help is available without being given every private detail now.

Plan digital access without confusing it with authority

List important email accounts, devices, cloud photographs, subscriptions and any online business or digital assets. Explain what you would like preserved or closed, and record any provider-approved legacy arrangements you have set up.

Keep passwords and recovery details out of the Will and separate from general financial records. A Will normally becomes public once probate is granted. Let a suitable trusted person know how the secure access record can be found when needed.

Knowing a password does not itself give someone permission to use an account after your death. Your executor should follow the provider’s bereavement or legacy process and obtain the authority required. Access to photos, for example, is different from permission to operate a bank account.

Explain who will act and keep the record usable

An LPA allows an attorney to act during your lifetime within its terms. That authority ends when you die. An attorney does not automatically become your executor, although you can appoint the same person to both roles.

Show your executors where the main records are and keep their contact details current. Review the records when something material changes, such as a house move, a closed account or a change in your family. Date updates so the current information is easy to recognise.

If your wishes or the people you want to appoint have changed, updating the practical record is not enough. A Will and LPA MOT can help establish whether your legal documents also need attention.

Make a manageable start

Start by making sure your executors know where the original Will is held. Then bring together the key contacts and records. You can add the remaining detail as you go.

Contact Fern for help preparing or reviewing your Will, arranging storage, drafting a Letter of Wishes or choosing relevant Life & Legacy Logs. You do not need to organise everything before getting in touch.

If your executors later want professional help, Fern can introduce them to a probate or estate administration specialist. The specialist agrees the work and fees directly with them. Our Probate and Executor Support guide explains that route.

This article is general information only, not individual advice.