
What IFG will do to help bring about a truly Islamic economy
05 January 2024 8 min read
4 min read
Published:
Updated:
A
Admin
An overview of the probate process for executors/trustees.
When someone dies, you may be appointed to organise what they’ve left behind (in a process known as ‘probate’).
Unless there are assets abroad, the estate is bankrupt, or there is an inheritance tax liability- doing it yourself can save £1,000s.
We’ve put this guide together so you can handle probate with confidence.
The following information is relevant for executors in England and Wales.
I’m an executor – what do I do?
Executors are responsible for gathering assets, settling any bills or debts, and distributing the remaining wealth.
Rather than being seen as a daunting and overwhelming task, it can be viewed as a process of closure and fulfilling your loved one’s last wishes.
By keeping organised, it will not be as hard as you may fear. Writing out your plan, noting all important details about the deceased (date of birth, national insurance number, driving licence number and passport number etc.) and keeping records of everything you do, step-by-step, in one place can will save lot of hassle and delays.
What to do after someone’s died:
Stage 1: Getting started
Stage 2: Finding and Valuing the Assets
Stage 3: Get Legal Authority
Stage 4: You have legal authority and control of the estate
a. To obtain the Medical Cause of Death Certificate:
b. Inform their employer and enquire about a workplace pension
– take notec. Registering the death:
– Who can register a death? The person arranging the funeral, a person who lives with the deceased or anyone who was present at the time of death.The full name of the person who died.
Their full home address.
Their date and place of birth.
Details of where and when the person died.
Their occupation.
If they were receiving any benefits.
The name, occupation and date of birth of their spouse.
When the registry office provides you with a death certificate: get at least five official, certified copies (though some recommend as many as 25 as you will likely need them when interacting with organisations and they will cost more to get later).
If you didn’t get enough the first time round, you can order more copies here: https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/
d. Retrieving the Will:
– Chances are, if they’ve nominated you as their executor then they’ve told you where it is
– Specific funeral wishes can be made in a Will, so it’s worth checking for this as soon as possible
e. Once you have the death certificate, you can arrange the funeral and burial.
– The government’s bereavement services search will connect you to the local council’s page which will have the information you need- https://www.gov.uk/find-bereavement-services-from-council
– Many mosques have funeral services; their people are experts in dealing with this stage. It’s worth reaching out to the mosque you wish for the funeral prayer to be held at to see what support and guidance they can offer.
– You may be able to pay the funeral bill from the deceased’s bank account (even before getting a grant of probate). If you provide the bank with a copy of the death certificate and the funeral bill, they will usually pay the undertaker directly. If not, you can be reimbursed when you have collected the assets and are settling debts (covered below).
Stage 2: Finding and Valuing the Assets
05 January 2024 8 min read
30 October 2023 4 min read
27 February 2023 10 min read
Subscribe to get top halal money insights to your inbox every week.
Thanks for signing up to our newsletter