Your executors are the persons appointed in your will to look after your estate when you die. Their job (briefly) is to ascertain details of your assets and debts, deal with any income or inheritance tax issues that arise, obtain a grant of probate, and collect in your assets. After payment of any tax, debts or legacies, they must then distribute the estate among your beneficiaries in accordance with the will. They may also have to deal with any disputes that arise. It is clearly a very important role. You can appoint family or friends, or professionals, such as a solicitor or executor. Many people choose a mixture of the two, which can work very well. It can be particularly helpful to have a professional executor if the estate is large or involves complex tax issues, or if there is likely to be disharmony among your family over your will.