How to Deal with Arrangements Following the Death of a Loved One
We know that the loss of a loved one is an extremely difficult time. It is a sad reality that when a loved one dies, questions emerge about legal and financial arrangements such as wills, trusts, probate, insurance policies and funeral plans.
The responsibility for dealing with these questions and handling the arrangements is more than simply dealing with paperwork. We know that you might feel overwhelmed, but you will want to do the best you can in the circumstances.
Don’t worry, solicitors with experience in wills, trusts and probate, financial advisors, banks and insurance companies are all here to help you with sensitive support.
We have put together this guide, based on both personal and professional experience, to deal with the issues you will need to consider.
Step 1 – Home and personal items
The first thing to do following a death is to make sure your loved one’s home and personal items are secure and insured. This includes making sure the house is safely locked up and contacting the insurers without delay.
You will need to inform the buildings and contents insurers of the property that the person has died and make sure there is a suitable insurance policy in place during the period of administration whilst the estate is being dealt with.
The insurers may have specific requirements such as periodical inspections and heating of the property etc. You will need to confirm this with the insurers. Make sure you keep a note of your conversation and any visits you make to ensure compliance.
Step 2 – Registering the death
A death must be registered within five days at the Register Office where your loved one died. There is guidance on this through the Government website.
The Register Office will require some personal details about the deceased and can guide you through this process and their requirements.
We also recommend using the DWP’s ‘Tell us Once’ service when registering the death if this is available in your region. This service will inform several government departments of your loved one’s death such as pension, tax, passport office and the DVLA, saving you the time and worry of what to do following death.
Once you have registered the death, you can pay for certified copy death certificates which you need for the next steps.
Step 3 – Finding a will
It is helpful to know if your loved one made a will and, if so, who they have named as executors.
The executors are those who have been named to manage the estate administration and will need to be informed as soon as possible. All documents and paperwork relating to the estate will need to be passed to the executors to manage.
If you are named as an executor and do not wish to act, it is important to take legal advice as soon as possible before beginning the estate administration. There is a formal legal process to follow to step down and we can guide you through this.
If there is no will, we recommend you contact a solicitor for further advice. This will be considered as dying intestate and the law will determine how assets are attributed. You will need legal advice to understand how the assets will be split and to determine if you would like to appeal – known as contentious probate.
Step 4 – Arranging a funeral
Sometimes a will can include funeral wishes so it is advisable you check this early on when considering what to do following a death. This way you can ensure that your loved one’s wishes are followed as well as taking the pressure off yourself during this difficult time.
You may find the person has an existing funeral plan and the plan provider can help with their process.
Funerals can be expensive and this can be a worry for the person arranging them. However, you can get assistance with the costs. The funeral can be reclaimed from the estate, or you can ask the deceased’s bank to release funds for the funeral invoice.
Step 5 – Informing people of the death
The executors will need to begin informing the banks and building societies and all other assets and liabilities connected with the person who has passed away. It’s helpful to set up a redirect on posts from the property to make sure nothing is missed.
The executors should then receive a response from those who they have notified with information as to the size and nature of the estate. You will need this to consider whether a Grant of Probate is needed and whether there is any inheritance tax to pay.
Some executors are happy to complete this process themselves, but many prefer to instruct solicitors to do this for their advice and guidance.
The experienced team at GA Solicitors is here to help you through this process and can relieve the burden from you when things become complex or time-consuming. For a no obligation initial consultation on what to do following a death, call our Wills, Trusts and Probate specialist and Associate Michelle Crump on 01752 203524, email michelle.crump@GAsolicitors.com or use the online contact form.
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