How long do you need to keep paperwork after someone dies?

Afitos

Hi,

I am not sure where to post this so please move it if it's in the wrong place!

I am wondering if any one can tell me how long we should keep old paperwork after someone dies?

We have boxes of paperwork from my Fathers estate and My partners Grandmothers. They died in 2006. Probabte was sorted in 2007 and 2008. Everthing was paid and distributed as per the wills.

Is there any need to keep old bank statements etc now?

Thank You for any advice

Sally

floss2

I keep all paperwork for 5 years. My OH keeps his for 10 years.

If the accounts are closed and the wills finalised then I would think you could probably shred them.

However I would keep the wills & grants of probate, also maybe a statement of how much came into the estate & how it was distributed, just in case.

Pee

Six years for income tax purposes, but if either of the deceased had a surviving spouse, you should keep until the surviving spouse dies as might be needed for IHT purposes.

pollypenny

I'm keeping everything to do with my father, in case my spoilt baby sister claims I have misused anything in the future!

Afitos

Hi

Thank You for your replies.

We had some issues with both families which is why we wanted to be sure.

We have found on the internet that wills can only be contested for 6 months so that helps a little.

Pee

You can only make a claim under the IPFDA for six months after Grant of Probate, unless the court give an extension... possible where a dependant is under 18 or otherwise disabled. The time limit for challenging a will would be longer than six months, two years I think. (Say, if you believed that it had not been signed by the deceased but was a forgery.)