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Provide legal documentation​

Once you have notified us of the death, you’ll need to provide formal documentation so we know who is legally entitled to act on behalf of the estate.

1

Notify us of the death

2

Provide legal documentation

3

Transfer, Sell or Donate the shares

What we need from you

The legal document we require is a Grant of Representation (or “Confirmation” in Scotland). This is issued by the probate court and is often called a Grant of Probate or Letter of Administration. When sending the document to us, please ensure it is the original/ with an embossed seal. We will take a copy of this and return it to you. We recommend it you use a tracking service for this item.

If a Grant of Representation is not being provided, you may be able to use our Small Estate Service, further details of which can be found on this page.

Watch our helpful video:

You can use the UK Grant of Representation service if you have been issued with any of the following:

  • Grant of Probate
  • Letters of Administration
  • A Certificate of Confirmation (Scotland)
  • A Grant of Representation issued by a Commonwealth country or territory that has been resealed in the UK High Court of Justice.

What to do next

To move forward, please send us one of the original documents listed above, along with a covering letter that includes the following details:

  • The full name of the shareholder
  • The shareholder’s full current address, and any previous addresses that may be linked to their shareholdings
  • Your full name and address (the person notifying us)
  • Any known shareholder reference numbers (usually 11 digits)
  • The names of any companies in which the shares are held
  • Provide bank details signed by the executors or administrators
  • Clear instructions on what the executor(s) would like to do with the shares. (e.g., Sell, transfer to a beneficiary, or donate – see Step 3 for options)
  • Important: The letter must be signed by all executors named on the Grant of Probate or alternative document

Please send your documents to:

Equiniti
Highdown House
Yeoman Way
Worthing
West Sussex
BN99 6DA
UK

We’ll take a copy of the legal document for our records and return the original to you within five working days.

To start a live chat, select the 'Chat now' button below. Chat availability is from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays in England and Wales. Please note this service will be in English only.

Small Estate Fees Calculator

Use our calculator to understand what fees may be payable.

Calculate fees

Looking for a form?

If you are looking for a form or document, please check our Useful documents page.

Useful documents

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You can use the Equiniti Small Estates Service if all the following criteria are met:

  • The value of the holding(s) and outstanding payments in each company was £50,000 or less at the date of death. You can check share prices online or you can use our Share Valuation Service.
  • No inheritance tax is payable on the deceased’s estate in the United Kingdom. (For guidance, visit www.gov.uk/inheritance-tax.)
  • You are the next of kin or an executor named in the will. (The United Kingdom has a legal order of precedence for next of kin. Visit www.gov.uk/inherits-someone-dies-without-will for details.)
  • No Grant of Probate has been issued, and there is no intention to apply for one.

How to use the Small Estates Service

Based on the type of holding:

If you are transferring electronically held shares to the next of kin or executor(s), please also complete and return the Small Estates Regulatory Data for Electronically Held Shares form with your Small Estates Form.

Please refer to the relevant Small Estates form for current fees and payment instructions. You can also use our small estate fees calculator.

Return the completed form and all supporting documents listed in the checklist to:

Equiniti
Highdown House
Yeoman Way
Worthing
West Sussex
BN99 6DA
UK

If you need further assistance, please contact us and have the following details ready:

  • Full name of the deceased shareholder
  • Full address and any previous addresses for the deceased
  • Date of death
  • Any known shareholder reference numbers (usually 11 digits)
  • All known companies in which the shares were held
  • Your full name and address

Once we have received your Small Estates Form and all required documents:

  • We will update the shareholding(s) with the name(s) of the authorised person(s) acting on behalf of the estate.
  • We will arrange for any outstanding payments to be sent.
  • We will close the shareholding(s) or scheme(s) as requested.

To start a live chat, select the 'Chat now' button below. Chat availability is from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays in England and Wales. Please note this service will be in English only.

Small Estate Fees Calculator

Use our calculator to understand what fees may be payable.

Calculate fees

Looking for a form?

If you are looking for a form or document, please check our Useful documents page.

Useful documents

Provide your feedback

Take our short survey.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Provide feedback