Probate

SDOWLE

Some advice please. My mother has sadly just passed away - i am expecting to get the death certificate any day. i am sole executor with 3 beneficiaries split equally. I will obviously write to all bank accounts advising of the death, i assume i then add up the estate value then apply for probate. Do the banks release all monies or do they need to see grant of probate? I am planning on paying funeral fees etc myself and then claim it back at the end. I also plan to open an Executor bank account as i assume the banks will make cheques payable to the Executors of the late ..... I think the estate will be under the £325,000 limit for IHT.

Any advice please

Keep_pedalling

If your mother’s estate consist on only cash then it is unlikely that you will need probate unless we are talking large sums.

There should be no need to pay for the funeral, banks will usually pay funeral costs directly to the FD.

I would make an appointment with each bank to go into the nearest branch, and they should be able to sort out the release of any funds that do not exceed their maximum limits quite quickly and without to much fuss.

badger09

Keep_pedalling wrote: »

If your mother’s estate consist on only cash then it is unlikely that you will need probate unless we are talking large sums.

There should be no need to pay for the funeral, banks will usually pay funeral costs directly to the FD.

I would make an appointment with each bank to go into the nearest branch, and they should be able to sort out the release of any funds that do not exceed their maximum limits quite quickly and without to much fuss.

I wouldn't.

I would first of all check online and contact each bank's dedicated Bereavement Department/Team. From my recent experience, local branch staff, and even helpline staff have no training or experience, whereas all the Bereavement Team staff I dealt with were very knowledgeable and helpful.

The same goes for utilities, BT etc

Keep_pedalling

badger09 wrote: »

I wouldn't.

I would first of all check online and contact each bank's dedicated Bereavement Department/Team. From my recent experience, local branch staff, and even helpline staff have no training or experience, whereas all the Bereavement Team staff I dealt with were very knowledgeable and helpful.

The same goes for utilities, BT etc

My experience was fine in branch (Barclays) but I did make an appointment, you certainly should not to sort anything by just turning up. Going into branch means you do not have to post any documentation, the branch member will copy everything, certify it and give your the originals back.

Savvy_Sue

As it happens, on Dad's death I wandered into branches local to me of banks where I believed he'd held accounts, and asked what I should do. In each case, they took a copy of the death certificate and my details as co-executor, and wrote to tell me what each closing balance was. No appointments necessary.

From that, my advice would be:

if you find it easy to phone (I don't), phone the bereavement dept and ask what to do

if it's convenient to go into branches where the deceased held accounts (it wasn't), do so, either on spec or to make an appointment

or do as I did and just wander in off the street and see what happens.