Named as an executor: what to do first

The first few days

Locate the original signed will. Copies are useful for reading, but it is the original that goes to court. If you cannot find it, ask the family and check whether the will was recorded with the Wills Registry, which notes where a will is kept but does not hold the document itself.

The death needs to be registered and a death certificate obtained, since almost every later step depends on it. Check whether the will says anything about funeral wishes; funeral costs are normally met from the estate. It is also sensible to let banks, insurers and similar organisations know of the death.

Deciding whether to take it on

Being named in a will does not oblige anyone to act. An executor may formally renounce. Where there are co-executors, the others carry on. Where a sole executor renounces, a person entitled under the intestacy rules can apply for letters of administration with the will annexed, and the will still decides who inherits.

Working out what the estate holds

Start with the deceased's statements and correspondence, remembering that many people now receive statements only by email. Institutions often will not disclose balances until a probate application has been filed, so the full picture may only emerge later.

Some assets are not part of the estate at all: CPF savings go to CPF nominees, insurance with a nomination is paid to the nominee, and property held as joint tenants passes to the surviving owner. Separating these out early shows what the executor is actually responsible for.

Applying for probate

The executor applies to the Family Justice Courts with the original will, the death certificate and a list of assets and liabilities, together with sworn statements confirming the details and undertaking to administer the estate faithfully. A lawyer is not required, although many executors use one. Published firm guides current as at April 2026 say probate is expected to be applied for within six months of the death, with reasons given for any later application.

Agreement within the family does not replace the grant. Without it, banks and other institutions will usually not release funds, whatever the will says.

Once the grant is issued

• Open an estate account if needed, and collect the assets into it.
• Pay funeral expenses, debts and taxes before giving anything to beneficiaries.
• Act even-handedly between beneficiaries, and avoid conflicts of interest.
• Keep full accounts; beneficiaries are entitled to ask to see them.
• Distribute according to the will once liabilities are settled.