Death in France - probate / death certificate issue

dancing_star

Hello

My grandmother recently died while on holiday in France visiting a relative. She was repatriated back to the UK for funeral (England, if it makes any difference).

French rules are apparently that the French coroner retains the original death certificate, and will not release it, only providing copies. This was accepted by the UK coroner, who released the body for burial with no issues.

My mother is executor and is handling probate herself, with my help as I've done it before, for another relative, although I am not an executor this time. We submitted the PA1 probate application and IHT205 last week.

The Probate office have written back requesting a copy of the original death certificate. Mother has of course written back explaining that the French coroner won't give it up, and has passed on details of the French coroner.

I guess we'll just have to wait to see what they say, but surely they must have come across this before? I wondered if anyone here had any bright ideas.

Thanks in advance

unforeseen

But you say that the French coroner supplies copies of the original certificate. I presume you have one or two of those?

dancing_star

Yes, we have several copies, and sent one (or however many are required, I can't remember off the top of my head) with the PA1 & IHT205.

The office wrote back to say they wanted the original.

Yorkshireman99

dancing_star wrote: »

Hello

My grandmother recently died while on holiday in France visiting a relative. She was repatriated back to the UK for funeral (England, if it makes any difference).

French rules are apparently that the French coroner retains the original death certificate, and will not release it, only providing copies. This was accepted by the UK coroner, who released the body for burial with no issues.

My mother is executor and is handling probate herself, with my help as I've done it before, for another relative, although I am not an executor this time. We submitted the PA1 probate application and IHT205 last week.

The Probate office have written back requesting a copy of the original death certificate. Mother has of course written back explaining that the French coroner won't give it up, and has passed on details of the French coroner.

I guess we'll just have to wait to see what they say, but surely they must have come across this before? I wondered if anyone here had any bright ideas.

Thanks in advance

I would ask the UK coroner to issue a certificate so the death can be registered in the UK. Just a guess but worth asking.

unforeseen

dancing_star wrote: »

Yes, we have several copies, and sent one (or however many are required, I can't remember off the top of my head) with the PA1 & IHT205.

The office wrote back to say they wanted the original.

Fair enough but that wasn't what you originally said, hence my suggestion

Yorkshireman99

The French coroner may be able to supply a certified copy that will satisfy the Probate Office.

dancing_star

Yorkshireman99 wrote: »

The French coroner may be able to supply a certified copy that will satisfy the Probate Office.

Thank you. Mother has suggested this in her reply to the Probate Office, I think. It's difficult as she (mother) is on holiday at the moment so we're relying on occasional emails and she got in a flap at this one.

I might ring the PO myself and ask as a general question so we can have ducks in a row for when mum returns. Like I said they will have had this before.

Thanks again

Yorkshireman99

dancing_star wrote: »

Thank you. Mother has suggested this in her reply to the Probate Office, I think. It's difficult as she (mother) is on holiday at the moment so we're relying on occasional emails and she got in a flap at this one.

I might ring the PO myself and ask as a general question so we can have ducks in a row for when mum returns. Like I said they will have had this before.

Thanks again

You are welcome! Asking the PO is a good idea as they have a reputation for being the best civil serants to deal with. As you say it can't be the first time they have had to deal with such a situation. Good luck.

dancing_star

Hi, I thought I would update. Not sure of exact details but the Probate Office have accepted whatever my mother sent them and as soon as she gets back from holiday is going to swear the oath.

I think they just accepted the copy of the French death certificate and the explanation as to why original couldn't be provided. Not sure if they contacted French coroner directly (mother had given them contact details).

Just thought update might be useful to others in future.

Thanks again.

Yorkshireman99

Thanks for that. I am pleased it is sorted. This must be a very common occurence for the PO to deal with.

TonyMMM

This type of issue is usually a misunderstanding over the term "original".

In the UK - there is no such thing as an "original certificate", the only original document is the register entry and that stays in the vault in the register office. All certificates are certified copies of that, whether they are produced on the day of registration or ten years later, and have equal validity.

All certificates are certified copies and signed as such by the registrar - they should be accepted by anyone requiring notification, but photocopies of certificates are rarely accepted. I suspect the french system is similar.

There is no facility to register a death that occurs overseas in the UK.

Glad it has now been sorted.