Step 1 – Registering The Death

As Solicitors, this is something we wouldn’t normally be consulted to help with, but you must ensure the death has been registered to your local register office within 5 days.
Once completed, you shall receive a ‘Certificate for burial’ Which you must give to the Funeral Director or an application for cremation which will be given to the Crematorium.

Step 2 – Arrange the Funeral

You can either look to hire a funeral director or arrange the funeral yourself. If you chose to hire a funeral director, it’s paramount that you chose one that’s a member of either: National Association of Funeral Directors or The National Society of Allied and independent Funeral Directors (SAIF)

It’s also beneficial to know that when paying for a funeral, you can opt for a Funeral Expenses Payment if you may struggle to come up with the costs. (Full details of this can be found online)
It is more normal to pay for the funeral with money from the deceased’s estate or savings.
This is where we can help, gaining access to this money is called ‘Applying for probate’ which our team of experts can assist with.
Visit our page https://www.jameso267.sg-host.com/personal/probate-estate-administration/ and contact one of our solicitors for more advice.

Step 3 – Tell the Government about the death

Once the above step has ben completed, you should then inform the government and all relevant departments of the death.
You can do this through the ‘Tell Us Once’ Service provided online, or you may even go through this with the registrar once you’ve initially registered the death.
You will be provided with a unique reference number if you opt to use the service yourself online or by the phone.
In order to use the service, you will need a lot of information at hand, such as; name, date of birth, date of death, address and contact details as well as other key bits of information.
You must ensure you use the service within 28 days of receiving your unique reference number.
The Tell Us Once service will inform all relevant authorities, such as HMRC, Passport office, DVLA etc of the death.

If you cannot use the ‘Tell Us Once’ service, you must inform the above authorities yourself (Full list of relevant authorities and contact information can be found online)
Here at Watson Ramsbottom, we understand that finding the time and effort to phone ‘around the houses’ during such an emotional time, can prove to be difficult.
Please contact us and speak to one of our solicitors today, we’re more than happy to help you with this task.

Step 4 –Check if you need to pay inheritance tax & apply for probate

When it comes to applying for probate, then look no further than us.
Our team of specialists can provide you with all the support & guidance you need when it comes to all things relating to probate.

We can take the stress away from you during this time and alleviate any pressure you may be feeling.

Administering your loved ones Estate can be overwhelming during this difficult period.
With our in-depth knowledge and expertise of handling the processes and paperwork involved, you can trust us to manage any complex issues with the upmost compassion.

Should you decide to instruct us to administer the Estate, we will always be available should anyone associated with the Estate wish to contact us.

How we can help –

You can rest assured that our Estate Administration service will take care of everything you need, including:

Safeguarding & establishing the value of the Estate’s assets

Applying for Probate

Collecting all the assets & if required, arranging the sale of property within the Estate

Organising and completing all associated paperwork

Calculating & paying the correct amount of Tax, working collectively with HMRC

Finalising income Tax Liability or obtaining any repayment

Distribution of funds and preparing a clear and detailed report

Settling any debts owed by Estate

Our priority is to make every effort to keep the process moving. Should there be a delay for any reason, we will explain why and will keep you fully informed as to how this affects the timescale of the administration.