Unable to find will or deceased daughters at moment what can we do about funeral?

topcee2

My brother died earlier this week.He was found after neighbours reported not seeing him and being worried. I identified body and made witness report and we are now waiting on coroner. We have keys to his house and have tried to look for a will but have not found anything. He was estranged from his daughters who are in their 40s. He was a very private person and we know very little information other than the area his ex wife was living  when the daughters were younger. we dont know if they have changed surnames. social media and people finder have come up blank. I tried ex wifes maiden name and believe might of found her but there havnt been posts for over a year. I dont really want to send a message as I think it might cause us further distress. Can we ask for help from police to inform them so that they can inform daughters? I know as the informant I can register the death and deal with informing banks etc but what can we do about a funeral? We would need bank to cover funeral costs will that be a problem as on the list when someone dies intestate a brother and sister are below children. Any advice would be appreciated.

user1977

Yes, I think the police could help with tracing family. Bank might be flexible if "next of kin" are estranged/not findable? Can only ask.

theoretica

The bank may expect to pay the funeral director's invoice directly - and quite likely won't care who brings it in.  Worth confirming with them.  They are likely to be more restrictive about paying out any other money in the account.

RAS

The funeral directors will bill the bank directly. You could ask the police if they can contact the potential ex-wife before the funeral? 

Do you think there is enough in the account to pay for a funeral? If not, then the estate may be insolvent and you should avoid intermeddling. The local authority will organise a public health funeral and liaise with the police. They will retrieve the cost of the funeral if enough is found later.

frayedknot

Yes, tell the bank and register the death. Use the 'tell us once' service to notify other institutions. Take the death certificate to bank and say you're the next of kin (you're the nearest they're gonna get). Ask if there are sufficient funds for a funeral. I wouldn't be too optimistic but he may have other assets which you should search for. Did he own his house or a car?  Go through his paperwork looking for bank statements, investments or life assurance. 

If there are sufficient assets organise a funeral. If not it's up to you,- pay for a funeral out of your own pocket or let the council sort it, they can't make you pay for it. You can still attend but it will be an early morning slot at the crematorium without flowers.

Good luck.

topcee2

Thanks that has given me something to work on. Yes he has a house and more than enough in bank and building society, I am only returning to his house to check on things and have taken paperwork that we have found as his house is very cluttered. we have no where to store anything else. The neighbours are aware of us coming and going and keeping an eye on his property.

Flugelhorn

hope you get sorted, once you have registered the death and got the cert then you will find people will just accept that. Re the funeral - if you want to wait a bit and see if the daughters can be found then the undertakers will manage that - there is no hurry. Estranged family can be a bit funny if they think that despite being uncontactable they feel that somehow someone should have found them

danco

You can have a minimal funeral, where the undertakers arrange the time and place.

I did this for a friend whose children(adults)  were in the USA.

At a later date, when the children were able to come over, we arranged a memorial gathering for them and some of her friends. There's no need to make the funeral into a memorial unless it suits you.

topcee2

update- with a bit of investigating - finding ex wife's changed name by using maiden name from wedding certificate he had kept found her on facebook first. Was really nervous about contacting her as I remember all the trouble and hurt over getting visits by children arranged. then I came across divorce papers and the name of the man she went off with. so i tried daughters names with that surname and one came up. slightly different spelling but facially she had recognisable look. So I went ahead and asked if she knew names and to contact. Message came straight back and we have been talking. So although it isn't easy things are now moving forward. Thanks for the support given from you all it really eased my mind.

RAS

Have you check the Government site, the HMCTS Register?

Also if you contact any solicitor local to your brother, they can circulate a request round others in the area seeking any will written by him. I used this some years ago. Obviously if the firm had any dealings with him for other purposes, they'd be the prime target.