Managing the Estate

The legal and financial process of settling what someone left behind: probate, intestacy, tax, and administration.

Estate administration is the work that comes after the funeral: proving you have the authority to act, valuing what the person owned, settling what they owed, and passing on what is left. It usually takes months rather than weeks, and most of it can be done without paying a solicitor.

Start with what is probate to work out whether you need a grant at all. Then how to value an estate for probate gives the figures HMRC and the probate registry both rely on. For tax, the inheritance tax threshold explains when a bill arises and which inheritance tax forms go with it. Where there is no will, intestacy rules covers who inherits instead.

Contesting a will in the UK: the grounds, the time limits and what it costs

How contesting a will works in England and Wales: the grounds for a challenge, the six-month limit for Inheritance Act claims, caveats and who pays the costs.

11 min read

Probate in Scotland: how to apply for confirmation

In Scotland, probate is called confirmation. How the sheriff court process works, the small estate route, the C1 form and the 2026 court fees.

11 min read

Executor bank account: what it is, when you need one and how to open one

An executor bank account holds the estate's money apart from your own. When you need one, what banks ask for, how interest is taxed and when to close it.

11 min read

Does power of attorney end at death? What attorneys can and cannot do once the donor dies

A power of attorney ends when the donor dies. What the attorney must stop doing, how to report the death to the OPG and who deals with the estate next.

11 min read

Can I do probate myself? DIY probate vs using a solicitor

You can apply for probate without a solicitor. When DIY probate works, when paying for help is worth it, and the middle ground between the two.

10 min read

How much does probate cost in the UK? Court fees, solicitor charges and the cheaper routes

The probate fee is £526 for estates over £5,000. What solicitors charge on top, the extra costs executors meet, and how to keep the bill down.

10 min read

Probate solicitors and estate administration services: what they do and how to choose

What a probate solicitor or estate administration service does, who is allowed to apply for probate for you, and what to ask before you instruct anyone.

10 min read

How to find bank accounts of someone who has died in the UK

Where a deceased person's bank accounts usually turn up, what banks need from you, and the free and paid searches for lost and dormant accounts in the UK.

10 min read

Can an executor be a beneficiary of a will? Witnesses, conflicts and what the law allows

An executor can inherit under the same will. What changes if they witnessed it, want to buy an estate asset, expect to be paid or fall out with the family.

11 min read

How to find out if someone had life insurance, and how to claim it after a death

Where to look for life insurance after a death, how to trace an old policy, who can claim, when probate is needed and how payouts count for Inheritance Tax.

9 min read

Probate search: how to check if probate has been granted in the UK

How to use the GOV.UK probate search, read the results, order a copy of a grant or will, set up a standing search, and check Scotland and Northern Ireland.

11 min read

Unclaimed money from deceased relatives UK: where to search

This guide is the map. It covers every route for finding a dead relative's money, what each covers, and which ones charge.

9 min read

Estate accounts: what executors must prepare and how to do it

This guide covers whether estate accounts are legally required, who can see them, what they must contain, how to produce a set without a solicitor, whether beneficiaries must sign, what happens if one refuses, and how the accounts protect you.

8 min read

Defined contribution pensions and inheritance tax: what changes from 6 April 2027

This guide covers cash ISAs, stocks and shares ISAs, Innovative Finance ISAs and Lifetime ISAs. It explains what the executor does, what a surviving spouse can claim, and how inheritance tax applies. Junior ISAs are covered further down.

8 min read

NS&I bereavement: how to claim savings, Premium Bonds and investments after a death

This guide covers how to claim premium bonds after death, what the NS&I bereavement form asks for, how long NS&I takes, and what happens to every other product from Direct Saver to Income Bonds. It also covers the 2026 NS&I tracing error.

10 min read

What happens to debt when you die in the UK

This guide is for the person administering the estate: the order debts are paid in, how to advertise for creditors, what happens when an estate cannot pay, and how an executor avoids personal liability.

7 min read

What to do if you find accounts after probate has been granted

If you find a bank account or other asset after probate has been granted, you almost never need a new grant to deal with it. The grant of probate already covers the whole estate, not only the assets you listed when you applied, so you can use the grant you hold to collect the newly found account. The extra work sits in two places: telling HMRC through a corrective account if the value changes the inheritance tax position, and, where the estate has already been shared out, bringing the money back in before it can be distributed properly.

10 min read

Capital gains tax on inherited property in the UK

This guide explains how inherited property and capital gains tax fit together: how the probate value becomes your base cost, the rates and allowance for 2026/27, the 60-day reporting rule, and the reliefs that can reduce or remove the bill.

8 min read

What does an executor of a will do? A UK guide to the role, duties and liability

This guide covers what the role involves, the duties in order, the timeline, what an executor is personally liable for, which tasks you can delegate, and how to step down if you do not want the job.

11 min read

Deed of variation: how to change who inherits from an estate in the UK

This guide covers the 2 year deadline, the tax reading back, who has to agree, and what a deed cannot do.

7 min read

Widow's pension UK: what replaced it and what you can claim now

This guide explains what replaced the widow's pension, how much Bereavement Support Payment pays, who qualifies, how to claim before the deadlines cut what you receive, and what else a widow or widower can claim, including inherited State Pension.

9 min read

Next of kin: meaning, legal status and what you are responsible for in the UK

This guide covers the meaning of next of kin, who counts, what the role can and cannot do, and what actually lands on you once someone has died.

7 min read

Death in service benefit UK: how it works and how to claim

This guide covers what death in service benefit pays, who decides where the money goes, how it is taxed, and how to claim. NHS and teacher schemes are covered too.

9 min read

The 7 year rule for inheritance tax: how gifts before death are treated

This guide covers how the 7 year rule works, how taper relief is calculated, which gifts are exempt whatever the date, and what the November 2025 Autumn Budget changed.

7 min read

What happens to a bank account when someone dies: payments, frozen accounts and refunds

This guide covers what happens to sole and joint accounts, how to notify the banks, when you need probate, what a frozen account can still pay for, and which payments can be refunded.

8 min read

How to value an estate for probate in the UK

This guide covers the valuation date rule, what counts as an asset and a debt, how to value each type, and when form IHT400 is required.

8 min read

What happens to a pension when someone dies in the UK

This guide covers each type of pension, what a widow or widower can claim now, the deadlines that matter, and the April 2027 inheritance tax change.

8 min read

What happens to an ISA when someone dies in the UK

This guide covers cash ISAs, stocks and shares ISAs, Innovative Finance ISAs and Lifetime ISAs. Junior ISAs work differently and cannot be inherited as an ISA, so they are covered separately at the end.

9 min read

Inheritance tax threshold UK: what you need to know in 2026

This guide covers the 2026/27 thresholds, how allowances transfer between spouses, what counts towards the estate, and the April 2026 and April 2027 changes.

8 min read

What happens to a joint mortgage when one partner dies in the UK

This guide explains what happens on death, what the surviving partner needs to do, and what the realistic options are if the mortgage is suddenly unaffordable on one income.

8 min read

Residence nil rate band: how it works and what it could save you

This guide explains who qualifies for the residence nil rate band, how the £2 million taper works, how the allowance transfers between spouses, and how executors claim it.

8 min read

What happens to Premium Bonds and NS&I when someone dies in the UK

This guide explains what happens to Premium Bonds after death, how the NS&I bereavement claim works, what happens to prizes, and how to trace bonds you cannot find.

9 min read

What happens to direct debits and standing orders after a death in the UK

This guide covers what stops on its own, what carries on taking money, how to get payments after the date of death refunded, and the order to work the bank's list in.

8 min read

What happens to energy and water bills in a property they owned after the owner dies

This guide covers what happens to utility bills when someone dies in a home they owned and nobody else lives there.

7 min read

What happens to energy and water bills in a rented property when someone dies

This guide covers a rented property left empty after the death of its sole tenant: how the tenancy ends, who pays the bills until it does, the landlord's position, and the meter readings to take when the keys go back. If the person owned their home, read energy and water bills in a property they owned instead.

7 min read

My Lost Account UK: how it works and what it does not find

This guide explains what My Lost Account covers, how to run a search, how long the results take, and which services to use for the pensions, investments and insurance policies it does not find.

7 min read

What is probate in the UK?

This guide covers what probate involves, when it is needed, what a grant of probate is and how to apply for one, what it costs and how long it takes.

7 min read

What happens to bills when someone dies

When someone dies, their bills do not stop. Gas, electricity, water, broadband, TV Licence, council tax: each one continues until someone contacts the provider and tells them. The accounts stay open, the charges keep running, and if a direct debit was paying them, it may keep going too until the bank is notified.

8 min read

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Managing the Estate

Guides in this category

Contesting a will in the UK: the grounds, the time limits and what it costs

Probate in Scotland: how to apply for confirmation

Executor bank account: what it is, when you need one and how to open one

Does power of attorney end at death? What attorneys can and cannot do once the donor dies

Can I do probate myself? DIY probate vs using a solicitor

How much does probate cost in the UK? Court fees, solicitor charges and the cheaper routes

Probate solicitors and estate administration services: what they do and how to choose

How to find bank accounts of someone who has died in the UK

Can an executor be a beneficiary of a will? Witnesses, conflicts and what the law allows

How to find out if someone had life insurance, and how to claim it after a death

Probate search: how to check if probate has been granted in the UK

Unclaimed money from deceased relatives UK: where to search

Estate accounts: what executors must prepare and how to do it

Defined contribution pensions and inheritance tax: what changes from 6 April 2027

NS&I bereavement: how to claim savings, Premium Bonds and investments after a death

What happens to debt when you die in the UK

What to do if you find accounts after probate has been granted

Capital gains tax on inherited property in the UK

What does an executor of a will do? A UK guide to the role, duties and liability

Deed of variation: how to change who inherits from an estate in the UK

Widow's pension UK: what replaced it and what you can claim now

Next of kin: meaning, legal status and what you are responsible for in the UK

Death in service benefit UK: how it works and how to claim

The 7 year rule for inheritance tax: how gifts before death are treated

What happens to a bank account when someone dies: payments, frozen accounts and refunds

How to value an estate for probate in the UK

What happens to a pension when someone dies in the UK

What happens to an ISA when someone dies in the UK

Inheritance tax threshold UK: what you need to know in 2026

What happens to a joint mortgage when one partner dies in the UK

Residence nil rate band: how it works and what it could save you

What happens to Premium Bonds and NS&I when someone dies in the UK

What happens to direct debits and standing orders after a death in the UK

What happens to energy and water bills in a property they owned after the owner dies

What happens to energy and water bills in a rented property when someone dies

My Lost Account UK: how it works and what it does not find

What is probate in the UK?

What happens to bills when someone dies

Intestacy rules UK: who inherits when there is no will

Letters of administration: what they are and how to apply

Does debt die with you? What happens to debt after a death in the UK

How long does probate take in the UK?

Pension Tracing Service UK: how it works and what to do next

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