My mother-in-law made a will many years ago leaving everything to my wife, and naming her and a local solicitor as joint executors. She has very little to leave, and since the will is very simple I wondered whether it would be possible for my wife to become sole executor. How would she go about it?
This seems sensible; if your wife needs any help administering her mother’s estate she can always call on a solicitor if necessary. However your mother-in-law will have to write a new will, changing the clause which names her executors. This will supersede her previous will. It shouldn’t be expensive to do.