Renouncing Executorship: How and When to Step Down

How do I formally renounce my role as executor?

1Complete form PA15 (Give up your right as an executor) before you intermeddle in the estate, and give it to the executor who is applying for probate — it goes in with their application. There is no separate fee for it.
2Renunciation is permanent — you cannot change your mind after filing without a court order. If uncertain, consider having power reserved instead.
3You lose the right to renounce once you have intermeddled — that is, once you have taken any act of administration (paying bills, accessing accounts, instructing professionals on behalf of the estate).
4If you are a sole executor who renounces, someone else must take a grant of letters of administration with will annexed. Rule 20 of the Non-Contentious Probate Rules 1987 sets the order of priority, and a residuary beneficiary normally comes first.
5Arrange the funeral costs if you need to — this is not intermeddling, as it is a personal duty rather than an act of estate administration.

Complete form PA15, sign it in front of a witness, and give it to the executor who is applying for probate, who submits it with the application. No fee is payable for the form itself. Act before you intermeddle — once you have accessed accounts or paid debts, you cannot renounce as of right. This guide describes England and Wales; the position in Scotland and Northern Ireland differs.

What Is Renunciation?

Renunciation is the formal legal act by which a named executor permanently gives up their right and duty to administer a deceased person's estate. It is distinct from having power reserved, which is a temporary stepping back that preserves the right to act later.

Once renunciation is filed, the renouncing executor is discharged from all executor duties and cannot be made personally liable for anything that happens in the estate administration thereafter. Their appointment is extinguished.

Renunciation is governed by the Non-Contentious Probate Rules 1987, which apply in England and Wales. It reflects the principle that executorship is a voluntary act — no one can be compelled to serve. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own procedures: a Scottish estate is administered under a grant of confirmation, not probate. For background, see our guide on whether you can refuse to be an executor.

When You Can Renounce: The Intermeddling Rule

The right to renounce exists only if you have not yet "intermeddled" in the estate. Intermeddling means taking an act of administration — an act that only an executor is authorised to do. Examples include:

Closing or accessing the deceased's bank accounts
Paying estate debts from estate funds
Selling, transferring, or collecting estate assets
Taking a grant of probate
Signing documents as executor
Instructing a solicitor or accountant to act for the estate

Actions that are not intermeddling:

Arranging the funeral — this is a personal duty that falls on the next of kin or whoever is responsible, not an executor power
Notifying organisations of the death (as opposed to closing accounts or claiming assets)
Securing the property against damage, theft, or deterioration
Reading the will or discussing its contents with beneficiaries

If you have intermeddled, you cannot renounce as of right. An intermeddling executor can be cited under rule 47 of the Non-Contentious Probate Rules 1987 to show cause why they should not be ordered to take a grant, at any time more than six months after the death. The route out is an application to the High Court under section 50 of the Administration of Justice Act 1985, which lets the court appoint a substitute personal representative or end the appointment of one of two or more. See our guide on removing a co-executor through the courts.

How to Renounce: Step-by-Step

Download form PA15 ("Give up your right as an executor") from GOV.UK. The form is free and there is no separate court fee for it.
Complete the form. You will need the deceased's full name, address, and date of death; the date of the will; and your own full name and address.
Hand-sign and date the form in front of a witness, who then hand-signs and dates it as well. The form asks for the witness details.
Give the completed form to the executor who is applying for probate. GOV.UK is explicit about this: PA15 is not filed separately by you. It is submitted with the applicant probate application. If nobody is yet applying, hold the signed form until someone does.
Notify the other executors and key beneficiaries that you have renounced, so they can begin (or continue) the administration without delay.
Provide any documents you hold relevant to the estate (such as the original will, title deeds, or account statements) to the acting executor or the Probate Registry.

The renunciation takes effect when it is filed with the probate application, and the grant that issues records that you have renounced.

What Happens After You Renounce?

Other Executors Are Named

They proceed with the administration. Your renunciation does not affect their authority. They will note your renunciation on the probate application. The estate administration continues under their control. See our estate administration checklist for what lies ahead.

You Were the Sole Executor

Someone else must take a grant of letters of administration with will annexed, applying on form PA1P and enclosing your renunciation. Rule 20 of the Non-Contentious Probate Rules 1987 sets who may apply and in what order; a residuary beneficiary normally has the first claim once the executors are cleared off. The grant carries the same authority as a grant of probate, with one difference of principle: an administrator gets their authority from the grant, whereas an executor gets theirs from the will and holds it from the date of death. See our guide on applying for probate for the application process.

Can You Change Your Mind?

Renunciation is generally permanent. The Non-Contentious Probate Rules 1987 provide that a renunciation may only be retracted with the leave (permission) of a district judge or registrar. Leave will only be granted in exceptional circumstances, and courts are very reluctant to permit retraction once probate has been granted to another person or once beneficiaries have relied on the renunciation.

If you are uncertain, the right approach is to have power reserved rather than to renounce. This keeps your appointment alive while allowing the administration to proceed without you.

Reasons Executors Commonly Renounce

There is no need to give a reason on form PA15, but common motivations include:

The estate is very complex, involving business assets, overseas property, or contested distributions
The executor lives overseas and cannot practically fulfil the role. See also our guide on acting as executor from abroad
Family conflict or a conflict of interest makes it difficult to act impartially
The executor does not have the time or emotional capacity to take on the role, particularly while grieving
The executor is concerned about personal liability for the estate's obligations. See our guide on executor personal liability
The named executor has a professional conflict (for example, a solicitor who also acts for a beneficiary)

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