What to do when a partner/spouse dies.

ljbnotts

John_Pierpoint wrote: »

Ouch - when you registered the death you should have bought about 10 copies of the death certificate.
You can buy them now, probably by going on line to the local authority and ordering them.
They now cost 7 GBP each and take about a week.
As viewers of "Heir Hunt" (daytime BBC1) will know, there is usually a "while you wait" service costing about 10 GBP per certificate.
The alternative is to take a photocopy and the original to a solicitor, who will put his firms official seal on the photocopy to certify it as a true copy. Then then you can use that copy; however I would expect any self respecting solicitor to charge at least 10 GBP per copy.

..

In England and Wales solicitors are not allowed to certify copies of certificates. They do not have the register page so can not be sure they are 100% accurate. They shouldn't really be photocopied either, as they are on 'crown' paper and could be altered and then photocopied to alter details. They can create an apostille for you but this is not the same as certified death certificate from a Register office.

The register office where the death was registered will be able to make copies for you they will be £7 each whilst in a current register, once they are in the archives they go up to £9 each. Some counties will charge a same day service charge.

John_Pierpoint

I got away with using a solicitor certified copy.
(Naughty solicitor - he should have know better:D)

Numpty_Monkey

dnpuckitt is a spammer:spam:

repplanet

I have just joined this forum and never know that one of the members of the this forum's husband died in the past. Let us pray that he should be in rest and peace.

joe_peddos

Recently my mother died she suffered from Alzheimers fortunately myself and my 2 sisters had power of attorney.

It was a sudden death so there was a post-mortem when the coroner issued the death certificate we got 6 copies + original as if you get them at the time issued we only paid about £3.50 each if we wanted extras later they were £7.50 each. I went to all the banks mum had accounts with the certificate. My worst experience was with Barclays. The girl I saw was great, we had met several times when she gave us help with mums account. She rang an office and gave them all the information over the phone. She then asked me to speak to the person on the phone all she wanted to do was push the banks services. Went on line to discover they charge 4 to 5 % of the value of the estate and most of the other big banks charge similar fees.

I new where mums will was and rang a few solicitors to get some idea of the cost as her estate has to go to probate. We eventually went with the solicitor who wrote the will the cost was a lot less than the banks would have charged.

My self and my wife have wills but I think we will get power of attorney for each other. My next door neighbours husband died and while I was in the house the family solicitor arrived to get him to sign his will, she had a terrible time getting their affairs sorted out.

Hope the info helps someone else

Bobby123

Sadly last year I had 3 very close members of my family pass away. Two years previously my father also passed away. From this, I have reluctantly had quite a bit of experience organising funerals, dealing with probate etc.

One thing that I would say is extremely important and has possibly already been mentioned, is the need for anyone who is chronically ill to have their wishes clearly documented. My mum was adamant that she did not want to be resuscitated in the event that she had a heart attack. This had to be discussed with her own GP and a specific document signed by the doctor. Mum had carers part of the month and details of this document were discussed with the care organisations and a note placed above the bed informing ambulance staff etc of her wishes.

A will is an absolute must. Sadly, there are always those who make an appearance when someone passes away for their own personal gain. An individual's wishes clearly documented ensures that any arguments are kept to a minimum.

If you are an executor of the will, always ensure that you keep a record of all expenditure, documentation and telephone conversations relating to your role.

I found all utilities were very understanding with the exception of SKY! Mum had a package that included the telephone. I thought I was doing right informing them that she had passed away but asked if I could continue to pay the telephone element as I was staying at her home and organising the funeral etc (I normally reside in another country). I was told that the phone would be disconnected immediately if I did not agree to join SKY in my own name. I was left with no alternative but to do this and had to pay 2 months subscription despite the fact that after 2 days I was no longer at the property. I then had numerous calls to make in order to cancel the contract which I had been assured would not be a problem even after one month!

When dealing with the estate do what you can, to the best of your ability making the decisions that you feel in your heart are the right ones for not only your loved one but also for those left behind.

It is not an easy time but it is the final thing you can do for those you cared so much for and will give dignity to their memory.

M.Holloway

Two useful websites for dealing with this probate fees and probate forms.

Probate fees has typical scenarios that gives you a general idea about what the costs will be. Unfortunately there isn't a place that you can get an online quote for probate and generally probate solicitors will only quote you once they're in your front room so they can hard sell you. Pretty low really.

John_Pierpoint

I would say it is almost impossible to give a quotation for "doing probate" as there are so many variables that are out of the executor/probate solicitor's control.
I have twice done the job in the last 5 years. The first time on my mother's place and then for her widower brother.
In my mother's case she was struck down by a stroke and my uncle had similar symptoms but they were caused by a brain tumour.
In my mother's case I had some idea of where to look for her papers but in my uncle's case uncovering his wealth came as a complete surprise. Both estates were well into 6 figures so I had to get HMRC involved.

I think getting the job done correctly very much depends on the standard of the records kept by the deceased and the diligence of the executor. No probate executive can do a reliable fixed cost the job without the former two qualities being in place or having been painstakingly reconstructed. No bloke in an office is going to reconcile the premium bond certificates after finding them hidden behind the gas meter. Nor is he going to put a huge effort into clearing the house and selling it for the best possible price. I personally was an early "victim" of the present chaos at HMRC

I would recommend a DIY approach from the executor, backed up with bought in advice from a sympathetic solicitor, as and when needed.

togo

mto wrote: »

I've tried searching on the main site, but can't find the checklist article Martin mentions. Can anyone tell me where it is.

Thanks

Thank goodness someone else couldn't find the list, I thought I was the only one. I really would like to read this information now as my husband died suddenly Aug 26 and I am determined to stay away from solicitors after experiencing the greed of the one that settled my father's estate. The forms arrive daily to be completed but the wording is difficult.:(

togo

localhero wrote: »

There are standard forms to be completed for probate and it is irrelevant whether you are married or not.

The executors job is to obtain valuations for the estate, complete probate forms, pay funeral expenses, any outstanding debts and taxes and then distribute the estate according to the Will.

I am slightly concerned by this statement though:



If this solicitor failed to do his job properly, why should you be paying another solicitor more money unnecessarily? Have you not taken this up with the original solicitor?

Dear Local Hero,
Some years ago my husband and I made back to back wills of sorts with a "will storage company". I didn't want to but my husband was insistant and believed all the sales talk. We didn't know there was a governing body/ exam /training for the task. Can it be publicised somewhere that younger people can read it and realise it is important?