ertificate to the organisations that hold the money of the person who has died. Ask them for confirmation of the value of the money held at the date of death and the amount of income received during the last tax year up to the date of death. Also ask them to freeze the bank accounts so no one can take money out without the correct legal authority
- opening a bank account on behalf of the estate
- finding out details of money owed to the estate
- finding out details of money owed by the person who has died
- preparing a detailed list of the property, money and possessions and debts in the estate
- working out the amount of inheritance tax due and arranging to pay it
- preparing and sending off the documents required by the probate registry and HM Revenue and Customs
- when probate or letters of administration has been granted, collecting in money belonging to the estate from banks, insurance companies, pension funds and building societies
- paying debts, expenses and fees, such as solicitors' fees and probate fees
- sharing out the estate, as set out in the will or according to the rules of intestacy.
If it appears that there are not enough assets in the estate to cover outstanding tax, expenses, bills and other liabilities, you should seek the advice of a solicitor. Administering an insolvent estate can be complicated.
Tax and benefits
When someone dies, it's important to sort out their benefits, tax and National Insurance as soon as possible. There may be tax to pay, or their estate might be owed some tax back.
You need to tell the tax office, and each government office that was paying benefits to the person who has died, about their death. You need to do this as soon as possible after the death.
Depending where the person who has died was living, you may be able to tell several government services about the death in one contact by using the Tell Us Once Service. For more information about this service, see What to do after a death.
If you need to report the death to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), you can telephone the DWP Bereavement Service. They can deal with all the DWP benefits that were being paid to the person who died. They can also check whether the next of kin is entitled to any benefits. For more information about this service, see What to do after a death.
You can find information about what to do about tax and benefits on the HMRC website at: www.hmrc.gov.uk or on the GOV.UK website at www.gov.uk.
The person who has died may have left debts, for example, an overdraft on their account or a credit agreement that has not been paid off. When someone dies you should always try to tell all their creditors.
In general, if there is not enough money in the estate of the person who has died to pay their debts their creditors cannot recover the amount still owed from anyone else, including that person's surviving relatives. You should check whether that person had any kind of insurance policy that would pay off any of their debts on their death, for example, a payment protection insurance policy taken out at the same time as a loan.
In some cases the debt may have been a joint one, for example, an overdraft on a joint account or an amount owed on a credit agreement taken out in joint names. If this is the case, the debt can still be recovered from the surviving person. In addition, if you lived with someone who has died you may still be liable for debts that relate to the property, such as council tax or water bills.
Probate and letters of administration
If you are named in someone's will as an executor, you may have to apply for probate. This is a legal document which gives you the authority to share out the estate of the person who has died according to the instructions in the will. You do not always need probate to be able to deal with the estate.
If you have been named in a will as an executor, you don't have to act if you don't want to.
Letters of administration
In some circumstances, someone who wants to deal with the estate of someone who has died will have to apply for letters of administration, r