Talking about the end of life is never easy, but you’d like to know your final wishes were granted, wouldn’t you?

Equiniti End of Life Services

What is Equiniti End of Life Services?

At Equiniti (EQ), we understand that when someone close to you dies it can be difficult working out what to do and in what order, especially if it’s the first time you have had to deal with legal issues following a death. That's why we have created Equiniti End of Life Services which is there to give you all the practical support that you need in relation to managing an estate, when you need it.

Dealing with a loved one’s estate can be a difficult task as there are many factors to consider that can be both complex and time-consuming. While some families prefer to do this work themselves, many prefer to appoint a legal professional to manage the process for them. EQ offer services that allow you to manage and control the estate of your loved one in the way you want, giving you the practical support you need, when you need it.

Caring for every customer, we’re here to simplify each and every transaction. Our team of qualified estate experts have over 500 years of collective experience of delivering customer focused, estate management excellence.

EQ can manage the estate for you

EQ offer an efficient and cost-effective estate administration service that reduces the stress and burden on you where we can act as either the Executor or Administrator. By appointing EQ, we will give you full peace of mind that all aspects of the estate will be managed legally, quickly, and with the full interests of the beneficiaries at the centre of everything that we do.

We will take care of financial, tax, legal, and other personal matters such as:

Paying funeral costs

Valuing and safeguarding all Estate assets

Securing and insuring any Estate property and arranging the sale of that property if required

Organising and completing all associated paperwork

Re-homing pets

Applying for the Grant of Representation (Confirmation in Scotland)

Calculating and paying the correct amount of tax, working with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)

Finalising any Income Tax liability and obtaining any repayment due

Managing and settling any Estate debts including loans, mortgages, and utility bills

Distributing funds and preparing a clear and detailed Estate Administration Report

Our service is based on a fixed fee, meaning that you know what the costs of managing the estate are from the very beginning. Furthermore, if you appoint us to administer the estate, our fee and any third party costs are taken directly from the estate meaning that there are no upfront costs to you.

For more information please read our brochure or call us on 0371 384 2793.

I would like to manage the estate myself

There are a few things that you need to consider before you begin:

An Executor or Administrator has the legal authority, responsibility and duty to distribute the deceased’s estate correctly and could be held financially responsible for any mistakes made therefore it is important that you act on the latest version of a will.

If you are unsure if there was a Will, the Will you have is old or you think changes could have been made we can help you check.

If a more up-to-date version of the Will than that being used to distribute the estate comes forward after distribution or it was presumed that the deceased did not make a Will only for one to come to light after distribution, issues can arise for the Executor which include being financially responsible for correcting the distribution to wishes if the correct Will.

To help avoid issues arising for an Executor or Administrator it is vitally important when distributing an estate that the most up-to-date version is being used. In the case where a Will is not known about or cannot be found, it is advisable to have taken steps to confirm that a Will does not exist. Therefore before an estate is distributed, the Law Society recommend a Certainty Will Search provided by The National Will Register, to search for both registered Wills and Wills that have not been registered.

As a legally endorsed and recognised best practice, Certainty Will Search offers great protection against an unknown or later Will coming to light after the estate has been distributed. Following a Certainty Will Search an Executor or Administrator should retain the Will Search report received as it validates reasonable steps were taken to search for an unknown Will or most up-to-date version of the Will before proceeding with distribution. To conduct your Certainty Will Search visit www.certainty.org.uk/equiniti

You may need to apply for probate to administer the estate of the person who died if they left:

more than £5,000, some banks will require probate to access bank accounts with a greater value.
stocks and shares
a house or land, or
certain insurance policies

The Gov.uk website and bereavement support organisations or charities and Citizens advice can provide lots of added help and advice on how to manage the affairs of an estate, including:

Locating the Will
arranging the funeral
taking responsibility for property and post
valuing the estate
sorting out finances

dealing with any assets
paying any Inheritance Tax
applying for probate
distributing the estate.

To help you find the right organisation to support your needs, we have listed a small number of organisations and their contact details.

Gov.uk - Births, deaths and marriages
For help on reporting the death of a lived one along with guidance notes on wills, probate and inheritance tax.
Visit: https://www.gov.uk/browse/births-deaths-marriages/death

Gov.uk - What to do when someone dies: step by step
Check what to do after a death - how to register the death, notify government departments and manage financial issues.
Visit: https://www.gov.uk/when-someone-dies

Probate Registry
Call 0845 302 0900 or Visit: https://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/probate

The General Register for Scotland
Call 0131 334 0380 or Visit: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk

HM Revenue & Customs
For help with tax issues call: 0845 30 20 900 or visit: https://www.hmrc.gov.uk

Citizens Advice Bureau
For help on practical and legal matters and contacts for counselling, help and support
Visit: https://www.adviceguide.org.uk

The Money Advice Service
The Money Advice Service was set up by the government to offer free impartial advice. They can support on all financial matters but also offer guides on what to do when someone dies and planning for old age and death. Call 0800 138 7777 or visit: https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk

Cruse Bereavement Care
Cruise are able to provide help with understanding and coping with grief following the death of someone close.
Visit: https://www.cruse.org.uk

They also provide useful signposting to organisations who work with a range of different grief experiences and specialised issues.
Visit: https://www.cruse.org.uk/organisations/signposting

Bereavement UK
Bereavement support and information when you need it - 24 hours a day 365 days a year..
Visit: http://www.bereavement.co.uk

Age UK
Age UK provide information and advice that covers every facet of later life, from benefits and care options, to later life planning and bereavement support.
Call 0800 055 6112 or visit: https://www.ageuk.org.uk

Age UK have created information guides and factsheets that are short and easy to digest, giving a comprehensive overview of the relevant topic.
These guides can be found: https://www.ageuk.org.uk/services/information-advice/guides-and-factsheets/

The Gazette - Office Public Record
Guidance for Executors on how to place an online Deceased Estates notice in The Gazette.
Visit: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/wills-and-probate/place-a-deceased-estates-notice

How can EQ help?

If you need help with completing the grant of probate application EQ offer a fixed fee service to support this which allows you to remain the Executor and take responsibility of the estate.

To receive details and an application form please call us on 0371 384 2793.

Death Notification Service

The free, online Death Notification Service is available to anyone who wishes to notify, in a single step, one or more member organisations that a customer has died.

The gateway service aims to make the process easier for those who have suffered a bereavement by relieving the stress and burden around repeated notifications and enabling them to manage these at a time that is convenient.

Once the online form is completed the selected financial institutions will then contact the notifier to inform them of the next steps.

Video: How to use the service

Who can I notify?

More information