Can There Be Co-Executors in British Columbia and Do They Have to Agree?

This answer covers the law of British Columbia.

Yes, a will can name more than one executor, and when they act together they are joint personal representatives. In practice that means cooperation matters, especially for land: a sale or other disposition of land by only one or some of several joint personal representatives is not valid without court approval.

There is an exception where some co-executors renounce or do not join the probate application. The acts of the executors who obtained probate are then as valid as if all had acted, and those executors may also deal with land. An executor who does not join the application is not liable for assets that later come under a co-executor's control. Being named in a will also does not force someone to act, because a named executor may renounce.

If co-executors deadlock, an executor can ask the court for its advice or direction on a question about managing the estate, without starting any other proceeding. A person with an interest in the estate may also apply to remove a personal representative on certain grounds. What fits depends on the will and the facts, so a lawyer can confirm.