Is it possible to contest a Will?

An executor does not have to accept their appointment but once they do they cannot retire without the approval of the court.
An executor can formally renounce their appointment as executor or allow the other executors to act and have power reserved to them. The latter means that if their co-executors, who do accept the role or are unable to complete the administration of the estate they can assume their role as executor at a later date.

If you own any assets then yes.  If you die without a valid Will your assets will pass in accordance with the Intestacy Rules.  In many cases these rules will not reflect you wishes and could result in claims being brought against your estate from disappointed beneficiaries leading to unnecessary costs eroding the value of your estate.

If you are seeking to dispute the validity of a Will you should lodge a Caveat at the Probate Registry to prevent a Grant of Probate of beingissued. In some cases this may be required as a matter of urgency. A Grant of Probate is a legal document which confirms the executors named in the Will have the authority to deal with the deceased’s assets.  A Caveat will prevent the executors collecting in the assets and distributing them in accordance with the Will and this should give you the time you need to prepare your challenge to the validity of the Will.

There is also a strict 6 month time limit in respect of any claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975.  The 6 months runs from the date of the Grant.

If you are successful in asserting the last Will of the deceased is not valid this will result in the Will being struck out and any earlier valid Will will take effect.  In the absence of an earlier Will the estate would be intestate and so the estate would be distributed in accordance with the intestacy rules.  It is important to ensure that any previous Will or the intestacy rules will make provision for you when considering the cost effectiveness of disputing the validity of the last Will.  If you do not stand to gain from a previous valid Will or the rules of intestacy you should consider carefully whether to dispute the Will at all even if you believe you have good grounds.

A person who dies without leaving a Will or without leaving a valid Will is referred to as dying intestate. If someone dies without leaving a Will or without leaving a valid Will, their Estate will be distributed in accordance with the rules of intestacy. Only married or civil partners and blood and adopted relatives can inherit under the intestacy rules. The intestacy rules prescribe how an intestate persons estate will be distributed following their death. The rules of intestacy do not make provision for cohabitees.