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Deaths, funerals & probate

Archives for February 2019

Inheritance Tax Query
We (my husband and I) are in the process of buying a new family home and we've been asked if we want it registered as Joint Tenants or Tenants in Common. The property we are buying is £630k which is only just below the Inheritance Tax threshold for a couple. If we choose Joint Tenants and one of us dies, would the other…
Proper way to approach utilities on death
My dad just died and as executor I have notified the banks who have frozen his accounts so the utilities for his house will not be paid ( by him) How should I approach the utilities - gas, water, internet etc to try and delay payment while money is tight? I could just offer to take over paying the accounts still in his…
Need a bit of help with understanding different wording
Hi, I've just applied for probate, and now looking at the list of legacies (wording below) and I have 2 questions for which I'd appreciate help. (1) is there any difference between the way (a) and (e) need to be treated, given the different wording but same recipients ? (2) as there is not enough money to go around, do I…
Not Wanting Inheritance
It looks likely that one of the beneficiaries of my late mother's estate does not wish to receive her share of the inheritance and has asked it to be shared amongst the other four, including myself. She is unmarried and does not have any children (mentioning this in case it's relevant). I am the sole executor and am doing…
Probate & council tax
My Mother passed away early November 2018. There is no will and myself and older brother are the only next of kin. There were some overpayments made to her from the DWP which i have refunded. Also all remaining debts, of which all were minimal, have been settled. I started to apply for probate, but found i was out of my…
Contact from Heir Hunter
Dear all - long time reader, first time poster and I know that you'll be gentle with me! I have received a letter from an heir hunting company advising me that I am a beneficiary to an unclaimed estate and asking me to sign a letter that essentially appoints them as the estate's administrators and their fee will be 15% of…
Codicil advice please???
Hi, can anyone give me advice on how I can ensure myself and siblings are not excluded from our dads will? He says he doesn’t have a named Will,his wife,not our maternal mother,will automatically get his estate. She has her own children and children to our dad. Can anyone advise please,what do we do as his children?
Probate q regarding non trustee status
Hello there, my father died last year and while his estate is still in probate i was wanting to ask a question. My father told myself and my brother what the family were to receive from his estate and since his death that has changed, my halfbrother who was made a trustee has told me that whatever was said by my father to…
GMAC cancelling contract
My dad passed away 9/8 and I informed GMAC and they sent me a letter 5/9 stating we could either settle the debt, return the car or tf the contract. I called and said we intending to settle the debt £7500 on the sale of my dads estate as there was no funds available in the bank. They agreed to this, no dates of how long…
Paying IHT in instalments and getting Probate
My gran died a couple of weeks ago and my uncle is executor. He is desperate to get all the IHT paid immediately before the cost of probate rises in April, which is putting huge financial pressure on the rest of the family to find that much money in a couple of weeks. HMRC site just says 'pay any tax due' before applying…
2 next of kins?
My mum recently passed away in hospital. I was named as her next of kin. My brother says that we are BOTH her next of kin. Given that he wasn’t named by her in the hospital, can this be true? I don’t think she has left a will. If that is the case, will we both have to agree on everything such as the sale of her house etc…
Contentious Probate...
Long 3 years into contentious probate. My father died a slow painful death 3 years ago, leaving my mother (75), my elder sister and myself. Sister lives away in scotland and never had any part in my fathers life nor late care/demise, apart from him being manipulated into changing his will on 1 of her visits (the other…
Rise in cost of death certificates E&W
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47240151
how much for a simple funeral plan?
really want to get a funeral plan sorted for myself. Not religious, simple cremation, very plain coffin. any idea roughly how much this would cost? been on funeral directors website but you have to get them to call you back and I don't want get into that. just like an idea?
IHT205 - What to declare when there was a funeral plan?
Hi all. I'm trying to fill out the IHT205 form. I have a query please...I have spoken to HMRC twice and got two different answers so I'm hoping someone here has been through this and can give me the correct answer. My dad had a funeral plan that paid out when he passed away. This covered the costs of the funeral. Box 12.1…
Probate house change of ownership
Hi, My father passed away and left me part ownership of the property, along with someone I don't know very well. We have done all the probate ourselves. I have agreed to buy the other persons share of the property. Now probate is granted should I get a solicitor involved to finalise the change of ownership of the property…
Valuing house clearance items for probate
Hi everyone, My brother and I (joint executors and sole beneficiaries) are valuing our mother's estate which will be with the house and savings over £1m. I know not everything of household contents needs to be itemised but we eat to do it correctly so we have evidence as how we came to particular value on contents. I have…
How quickly do solicitors distribute money to beneficiaries of a will
We have some solicitors sorting out the probate for my late parent's estate. They are now ready to make some interim distributions to the beneficiaries and have asked for our bank account details. I was just wondering - how soon after we send in the bank details are they likely to transfer the money? Will they wait till…
Post IHT/Probate income
Hello, Over a year ago I helped my Cousin complete Probate and IHT forms in respect of her father. The total estate fell just short of the £325k threshold and she was the only beneficiary. She has recently( a little belatedly) cashed in a couple of investment bonds and interest of £770 has been added to the total payable.…
Life insurance of deceased - we - dont know help needed
Hi I have been appointed as a executor and my old aunt was very confused at the end of her life -A will was drafted but not signed !! I cant find any paperwork what so ever about life insurance but I have been verbally told that she did have some I don't have any statements paperwork or anything to go on ? Who can I…

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Deaths, funerals & probate

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