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2. Arrange the funeral. The cost will
usually be the first expense paid for from the deceased's estate. Make enquiries
about the existence of a prepaid funeral plan - these are becoming increasingly
popular amongst retired people wishing to guard against the effects of
inflation. If a Testator does decide to purchase a funeral plan Executors should
be informed immediately and given the location of the relevant documents.
3. Apply for a Grant of Probate via the
nearest Probate Registry.
4. Arrange to open a Personal
Representative's bank account. This will be used for the receipt of money due to
the Estate and any loan arranged to pay an Inheritance Tax bill and/or probate
fees.
5. Inform all relevant persons and
organisations - banks, building societies, life assurance companies, employers,
local authorities, Inland Revenue, benefit agencies etc.
6. Arrange for a valuation of the
Estate. This will include the house and its contents, other personal effects,
investments in savings plans, equities, life policies, building societies etc.
Draw up a detailed schedule of all the Testator's assets.
7. Draw up a full schedule of debts
that must be paid from the proceeds of the Estate. These will include mortgages,
income and capital gains taxes, bills, credit cards, loans and overdrafts.
8. Complete the forms required by the
Inland Revenue Capital Taxes Office so that it can be established whether any
Inheritance Tax is due.
9. Complete the probate forms and send
or take them to the Probate Office along with the original Will, the death
certificate and the Inland Revenue account.
Subsequent Duties
1. Provided that the case is fairly
straightforward, an appointment will be made for the personal representative to
'swear the papers' within about 5 - 6 weeks of receipt at the Probate Office
2. When Inheritance Tax is due the Executor's
account of the Estate is passed to the Inland Revenue and the Grant of Probate
cannot be issued until the tax is paid. There will be circumstances where part
of the Estate has to be sold to pay Inheritance Tax and if this is the case
banks can arrange loan facilities to pay the tax straight away.
3. Copies of the Grant of Probate should be
sent to everyone who owes money to the Estate. The Executors now have a legal
authority to pursue any debts owing to the Estate.
4. When the Grant of Probate is received, the
Estate can be divided according to the terms of the Will. The Executor must
prepare and sign accounts showing who has received what from the distribution.
They must be able to show that they acted in accordance with the terms of the
Will in case there is any dissent from the family of the deceased.
5 . All papers, including the Grant of
Probate and the accounts must be stored safely for a period of 12 years.
Probate Registries
Telephone numbers for District
Probate Registries in England & Wales
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Bangor; 01248 362 410
Birmingham; 0121 681 3400
Bodmin;
01208 72279
Brighton; 01273 684 071
Bristol; 0117 927 3915
Cardiff; 01222 376 479
Carlisle; 01228 21751
Carmarthen; 01267 236 238
Chester; 01244 345 082
Exeter; 01392 74515
Gloucester; 01452 522 585
Ipswich; 01473 253 724
Lancaster; 01524 36625
Leeds; 0113 243 1505
Leicester; 0116 253 8558
Lincoln; 01522 523 648
Liverpool; 0151 236 8264
London; 0171 936 6983
Maidstone; 01622 754 966
Manchester; 0161 834 4319
Middlesborough;
01642 340 001
Newcastle-upon-Tyne; 0191 261 8383
Norwich; 01603 761 776
Nottingham; 0115 941 4288
Oxford; 01865 241 163
Peterborough; 01733 62802
Sheffield; 0114 272 9920
Stoke-on-Trent; 01782 213 736
Winchester; 01962 863 771
York; 01904 624 210 |
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