If you have just been named as an executor, the first thing to do is register the death and arrange the funeral. There is no need to rush into anything else in the first few days. Over the following weeks you will need to locate the will, start telling banks and organisations, and begin valuing the estate, working towards two important later deadlines: Inheritance Tax, if any is due, must be paid by the end of the sixth month after death, and you cannot apply for probate until the estate has been valued and, where required, reported to HMRC.
What do I need to do in the first few days?
In the immediate days after a death, the practical priorities are registering the death and arranging the funeral. You do not need to know who the executor is, or find the will, before doing either of these.
You will need to register the death within 5 days in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (8 days in Scotland), unless the death has been reported to a coroner, in which case the coroner's office will advise you on timing. Registering the death gives you the death certificate, which you will need multiple copies of for banks, insurers and other organisations.
Securing the property of the person who has died is also worth doing early: making sure the home is locked, valuables are safe, pets are cared for, and insurers are told the property may be unoccupied. Most insurance policies require notification if a home is going to be empty for a period.
You do not need to make any decisions about the estate itself in these first days. There is no legal deadline that falls due this early.
What happens in the first few weeks?
Once the immediate practicalities are dealt with, the focus shifts to finding out what the person left and telling the relevant organisations.
Find the will, if there is one. It may be with the person's solicitor, in a safe at home, or registered with a will storage company. The will names the executor or executors, who are the only people who can apply for probate if a will exists. If there is no will, the closest living relative, in a set legal order, can apply instead, as an administrator rather than an executor.
Start notifying banks, insurers, pension providers and other organisations that the person has died. The Tell Us Once service lets you inform most government departments in one go; organisations outside government, such as banks and private pension providers, need telling separately.
Begin gathering basic valuations: the rough value of the house, savings and investments, and any debts or mortgages outstanding. You do not need exact figures yet, just enough to start building a picture of the estate.
What needs to happen in the first month?
By around the one-month mark, the focus moves to the formal valuation of the estate and working out whether Inheritance Tax is due.
You need to identify the person's assets and debts and estimate the estate's value, which determines both how you report it and the deadlines that follow. Most estates are not taxed, but you still need the estimated value to apply for probate, even where nothing is owed.
If the estate does owe Inheritance Tax, you must report its full value within one year using form IHT400, and you cannot apply for probate until this has been done. Separately, and more urgently in practice, you must pay any Inheritance Tax due by the end of the sixth month after the date of death, to avoid interest starting to accrue; this is confirmed on gov.uk's guidance on valuing an estate. Because you will normally need to start paying before probate is granted, this six-month point is the deadline to keep in view from early on, not something to leave until it is close.
Once the estate has been valued and any necessary reporting to HMRC completed, you can apply for probate. Gov.uk's own guidance says you will usually get probate within 12 weeks of submitting your application, though it can take longer if further information is needed.
The first 30 days at a glance
What this means in practice
Much of the early stage, registering the death, arranging the funeral, finding the will, and starting to notify organisations, is something you can do yourself, at your own pace, without needing professional help.
Valuing the estate accurately, working out whether Inheritance Tax forms are required, and meeting the six-month payment deadline are areas where getting it wrong can be costly or slow things down, and this is usually where an executor benefits from support. You do not have to manage the whole administration alone, and there is no obligation to decide immediately whether you want help.
Take your time with the parts that are not time-critical. There is no requirement to sort through the whole house or make decisions about possessions in the first days, however much it might feel that way.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. If you are named as an executor in a will, you can choose not to act, or to have someone else, such as a professional, apply for the grant instead. This is not something you need to decide in the first days.
Any Inheritance Tax owed is due by the end of the sixth month after the date of death; interest starts to accrue on anything unpaid after that point. You will usually need to start paying before probate is granted.
Gov.uk's guidance says you will usually get probate within 12 weeks of submitting your application, though this can take longer if the estate is complex or extra information is needed.
No, you can apply for probate yourself. Many executors do, particularly for simpler estates. Larger or more complex estates, or ones with Inheritance Tax to work out, are often where professional support is most useful.
If there is no will, the closest living relative, in a set legal order (usually starting with a spouse or civil partner, then children), can apply to administer the estate instead of an executor. The process is broadly similar, though the person is called an administrator rather than an executor.
A note on what we do, and do not, do
Vision Consulting is licensed by the ICAEW for non-contentious probate and can take on the administration of an estate on your behalf, from valuing assets through to distributing the estate. We do not handle disputes between beneficiaries or contested estates, and nothing here is legal advice; we work alongside your solicitor where legal issues arise.
We are also putting together an executor checklist as a coming resource, to help with exactly this early stage.
We are here if you need support
If you have recently been named an executor and are not sure where to start, or want someone to take on the administration for you, speak to Chloe Symmonds, Senior Manager. The first conversation is simply about understanding what the estate involves and what kind of support would actually help, there is no obligation and no pressure. Call 020 8554 2135 or email info@visionconsulting.co.uk, or get in touch via our contact page.
By the Vision Consulting team.
This is general information, not advice. Your position depends on your circumstances.