We have been named executors and trustees on my FIL's will. He is in the UK. What happens now when we live in Aus. Has anyone had to do this?

Should add, he has died.

Firstly, sorry for your loss

Look here : http://www.probate1.com/

You may want to consider how much of an estate remains to be administered and the complexity of the will and distribution. Are there a lot of beneficiary's for example. Is there property involved ?

If things are not straight forward then you can always give power of attorney to a solicitor in the UK to deal with matters for you.

Just suggestions. Obviously its just such a personal and individual thing and the distance will not make this easy.

We recently became executors for my grandads estate. It wasn't easy doing it from here. My sister in the UK was also executor so she did the lions share and I had what is called power reserved. I had a say but didn't have to sign. We got a solicitor to do all the paperwork, it was 3000 GBP well spent in my view to sort out a complicated estate.

More Info.

I wouldn't say that it will be straight forward as we estranged from FIL about 4 years ago. We are also estranged from husbands siblings about 20 yrs. The will (dated 2004) leaves a large proportion of the estate to my husband. His siblings are currently unaware of the existence of a will (here in Aus with us) and one sibling has power of attorney and is dealing with it all, I believe as an administrator. I have suspicions that, as we are estranged from them all and not living in the UK, that my FIL's vehicle has been given to a granddaughter (daughter of sibling). There is a house/flat to sell and apparently a life insurance policy.

It will be very difficult to deal with 'our' interest from here in Aus, so all in all a bit of a mess.

If there is a will nothing can be sold/given out until probate is granted and only then can everything be sold and beneficiaries be given their share. If the grandaughter has not been named as inheriting the car she cannot (by law) have it. It must be sold and the money goes into the estate. As executor you have the power and you need to act quickly and hand this over to an experienced solicitor. Wills are legally binding documents which all parties must follow. It sounds a bit of a mess and it will be hard but getting a solicitor is VERY important.