- One in four Brits have acted as an executor – spending an average 40 hours on admin and often feeling out of their depth
New research from Canada Life reveals one in four (23%) Brits have acted as an executor, yet the majority say they were underprepared for what the role involved, and many were not even aware they had been appointed.
One in six executors (16%) are ‘accidental executors’ - those who only discovered they had been named after the person passed away, meaning they had no opportunity to discuss the estate or their responsibilities in advance.
Those who have acted as an executor before reported spending an average 40 hours on duties related to administering the estate – the equivalent of an average working week. One in 14 (7%) said they had spent over 100 hours handling the process.
When executors were asked how prepared they felt when embarking on their duties, just over a quarter (28%) of executors reported knowing ‘exactly what to do’, more than half (54%) had a rough idea, but had lots of gaps in their knowledge. One in seven (14%) said they felt completely out of their depth.
The emotional impacts of acting as an executor can be significant. A quarter (25%) felt stressed, anxious or overwhelmed, whilst 22% were worried about making a legal or financial mistake. Others reported trouble sleeping (12%), strained family relationships (11%), feeling physically run down (11%), and struggling to keep up at work (7%).
John Chew, Tax, Trusts and Estate Planning expert said:
“Acting as someone’s executor is a considerable responsibility carried out at one of the most difficult times in a person’s life. Our findings show many executors are going in with only a partial understanding of what is required which may be exacerbating the emotional and practical pressures reported.
"From tracking down financial accounts to dealing with solicitors and HMRC, the workload can be daunting, especially if you were not expecting to take on the role. With pensions set to be included in inheritance (IHT) tax calculations from April 2027, the role is set to become even more complex as executors are tasked with identifying a lifetime of pension arrangements to assess for an IHT liability.
“Families can make the process easier by naming executors early, discussing responsibilities openly with them and ensuring key documents and account information is organised and stored in a known location. Professional advice can also help, but it does not remove the executor’s legal responsibilities, so understanding the basics is essential.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
- Research conducted among a nationally representative sample of 2000 UK adults between 4th-7th August 2026
Enquiries:
Press enquiries should be directed to:
Katie Ormrod, Canada Life, +44 7834 740227, katie.ormrod@canadalife.co.uk
About Canada Life:
Canada Life is part of a group of companies controlled by Great-West Lifeco Inc., a Canadian headquartered, international financial services holding company with interests in life insurance, health insurance, retirement and investment services, asset management and reinsurance businesses. Through its subsidiary companies, Great-West Lifeco operates in Canada, the United States, and Europe. Great-West Lifeco trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol GWO and is a member of the Power Corporation group of companies.
Canada Life Limited began operations in the United Kingdom (UK) in 1903 and provides UK individuals and businesses with a range of retirement, investment, insurance and wealth solutions. Canada Life offers individual annuities, pension de-risking solutions, home finance, estate planning and investment options, and workplace protection products.
Canada Life Limited (no.973271) is registered in England and Wales, authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority, and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Stonehaven UK Limited (no.05487702), trading as Canada Life, is registered in England and Wales and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Canada Life International Limited (no.033178C) and CLI Institutional Limited (no.108017C) are Isle of Man registered companies authorised and regulated by the Isle of Man Financial Services Authority. Canada Life International Assurance (Ireland) DAC (no. 440141) and Canada Life International Assurance (Ireland) DAC are authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.
Canada Life Asset Management Limited, registered in England and Wales with registration no. 3846821. Registered office: Level 37, 22 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4BQ. Canada Life Asset Management Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Please note that while Canada Life Limited and Canada Life Asset Management Limited are regulated as stated above, property management and the provision of commercial mortgages are not regulated activities.
www.canadalifeassetmanagement.co.uk