After the funeral

The assets of the deceased have to be administered by collecting in any money due, and dealing with any property in accordance with the Will. In addition organisations such as pension providers and the Inland Revenue will have to be informed. This can be attended to after the funeral and normally there is no need to make this a priority in the first few days after death.

If there is a Will then this will confirm who has been appointed as executors to administer the estate. The executors may have to apply to the Court for Probate to distribute the estate in accordance with the deceased’s wishes. Probate confirms who has authority to administer the deceased estate and many financial organisations normally expect to see Probate before they release significant funds to the beneficiaries of a Will.

The Probate Office Help Line on 0845 302 0900 will assist you or you may wish to visit the Probate Service website from the link on the right. Regional Probate offices are located at Bristol 0117 927 3915 and Winchester 01962 897029.

If there is no Will or the executors do not wish to act then it is possible to administer and distribute the estate. Guidance is available from the Probate Office Help Line telephone number or their web site. You will be given details on how to apply for Letters of Administration which will confirm who has authority to act for the deceased even though there was no Will.

Applying for Probate or Letters of Administration can be complicated and time consuming and you may simply feel too upset to deal with all the paperwork. If this is the case then it may be advisable to seek professional advice from a solicitor or accountant who will administer the estate for you.

It is not always necessary to obtain a grant of Probate or Letters of Administration. Some organisations, including many insurance companies, banks and building societies, will release funds to the executors or next of kin without Probate or Letters of Administration. This generally happens if the estate and account balances are relatively small and the estate is not complex or contentious.

The government leaflet DWP 1027– ‘What to do after death in England and Wales’ provides clear guidance about Probate and Letters of Administration and copies of the leaflet are available from the Hospital Bereavement Service or your local Job Centre Plus office.