As executor your duties are to assess the value of your father's estate, to obtain the Grant of Probate, collect in all assets, pay all debts and give effect to the Will. Before you can apply for Probate you have to find out the value of the estate and this means getting property and other assets valued and getting details of monies owed to the estate with interest to the date of death where applicable. You will have to provide a copy of the death certificate to all relevant parties. You will have to submit an income tax return for your father calculated to the date of death and get details of all monies owed by your father. When you have this information you will have to calculate whether there is any inheritance tax due from the estate and even if there is not, you may have to complete an inheritance tax form. Any inheritance tax generally has to be paid before the Grant of Probate can be applied for. Once you have the Grant of Probate you can collect in the monies owed to the estate, pay any outstanding debts, and then pay the legacies mentioned in the Will and transfer any assets. The length of time this takes varies according to how long it takes third parties to deal with queries and valuations, and whether there are assets to dispose of (such as houses or businesses) that take some time to market and sell.