Planning ahead: get your life admin ready for your future executor

Planning ahead is simply about making life easier for the person who will have to sort everything out when you die. This page pulls together the key areas you can work on in advance so your executor is not starting from scratch.

Is this the right place for you?

This page is for you if you want to get ahead of things rather than leaving a pile of admin for someone else. You do not need to be ill or older, just ready to make life easier for your future executor.

  • You are generally well, but want your affairs to be easier to deal with.
  • You already have a will, but your life admin feels scattered.
  • You handle most of the household admin and want to leave a clear trail for someone else.

If you are already dealing with a recent death, you may find the After Death page more helpful right now.

Name Your Main Person

Decide who you would want as your executor or main organiser and note where your will is kept. It does not have to be perfect, it just needs to be written down somewhere obvious.

Learn more in Executor Basics

Make a quick “who’s who” list

Write down the key people your executor may need to contact, such as close family, your employer and landlord. A simple list in a notebook or document is enough to start.

Open People & Contacts

Capture your main bills and access

List your main bank account, mortgage or rent, energy, broadband and mobile. Add a short note about how to get into your phone or password manager without sharing actual passwords

See Property & Bills and Digital Life

Build a simple plan over time

If you want to go a bit further, you can build your planning ahead in stages. These steps link out to the main guides and templates that help most people get started.

Step 1: Make it clear who’s in charge

Check who your current executor is, or who you would like it to be. Read a simple explainer on what an executor does and make a note of where your will is kept.

  • What an executor does and how to choose one
  • Simple timeline of what happens after a death
Who’s Who

Step 2: Help them find the moving parts

Start a basic overview of your money, bills and key people. This reduces the detective work later on.

  • Household bills and regular payments checklist
  • You and your key people: a simple “who’s who”
  • Digital access after you die: phone, email and password manage

Step 3: Add a little guidance in your own words

Add short notes in plain English so your executor and family are not guessing what you would have wanted.

  • Template: key contacts list for my executor
  • Template: digital access note for my executor
  • For my executor: a short guidance note
Second Prime

Browse planning ahead content by area

If you prefer to browse around and pick your own starting point, you can explore planning-ahead content through these six areas.

Executor Basics

How executors work in England and Wales, what they do and how you can help in advance.

View executor basics