Financial Matters
Dealing with money matters is often the last thing you want to be doing when you have suffered a
bereavement. Unfortunately, it is something that
has to be addressed and some Financial matters are more pressing than others. Time delays can lead
to unnecessary complication and cost.
What should I do first?
The first thing is to register the death and take care of
the funeral arrangements.
The cost of the funeral can normally be released directly from one of the deceased's accounts upon
production of the invoice and death certificate,
if there are sufficient funds. If there are insufficient funds, you may be eligible to help from the
State - please ask and you will be advised
of the eligibility criteria.
Once you have attended to the above, it is advisable to write a list with the following information: -
- Accounts/Shares/ISA's etc
- Life Insurance
- Private Pensions/Annuities
- DWP/State Pension
- Utility Companies
- Council Tax
- Buildings Insurance
All these people may have to be contacted and if you write a list at the start then this will help
organise what needs to be done.
The person that has the responsibility of dealing with the administration of the estate is
either: -
- The executor if there is a Will
- The next of kin under the rules if Intestacy of there is no Will
It will be up to them to decide whether they wish to deal with matters personally or whether to get assistance from a Solicitor to assist with the administration of the estate.
There can be many pitfalls in administering an estate for the layperson; you can open yourself up to
claims against yourself personally for many
thousands of £'s. You should always seek professional legal advice to protect yourself against
potential claims such as from the DWP if the
deceased was in receipt of means tested benefits.
Whether you will require a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration to deal with the
estate will depend on what actually requires to
be dealt with. As a rule of thumb, it is required if there is: -
- Land or Property
- Money in accounts over £15K
The circumstances will dictate, and it is often not required on the first death in a couple whose
assets are held jointly.
Some Solicitors offer a free initial consultation to assess whether you require their
services, you may wish to take advantage of this. If
not and you require assistance later after coming up against something you are finding it difficult
to deal with - go and get their help rather
than worrying.
Where to find help?
Each A.W. Lymn office has a relationship with a local firm of solicitors who will be able to assist you from a local office and will be familiar with the procedures following a death.
Austin Moore
Big firm experience,small firm values
Our service offers the following benefits:
- Focused expertise
- Efficient deal management
- Quicker solutions
- No duplication of task and no wasted costs.
We are not tied to hourly billing. Where we can, we will commit to fixed priced costs based on realistic scoping of the work we undertake.
Our quotes can be relied upon, something that many firms struggle to achieve.Here your requirements fall outside our core specialisms, we can still help.
Our network of contacts allows us to access specialist advice at an appropriate cost depending on your specific needs.We will always provide a personal recommendation, not based on any financial or contractual obligations.
Contact
Phone - 0115 958 3043
Email - info@austinmoore-law.com
Website - www.austinmoore-law.com/
Buckles
Buckles Solicitors LLP provides a comprehensive range of legal services to businesses and individuals in the UK and internationally from our offices in Peterborough, London, Nottingham and Stamford.
We pride ourselves on being straight talkers, open and transparent so we use plain language to talk to our clients, not legal jargon. We have an unparalleled depth of expertise across our 15 service areas. Our strapline, "legally focused, relationship driven", demonstrates our commitment to providing clients with clear and concise legal advice combined with the very best client experience.
Our people
We currently have over 100 people working in our offices in Peterborough, London, Nottingham and Stamford. Our core values are teamwork, respect, excellence and trust.
Since 2001 we have achieved the Investors in People accreditation and in 2014 we were awarded the gold accreditation. We are also recognised as an Exemplar Employer and in 2016 we were awarded a two star rating by Best Companies, the name behind The Sunday Best Companies to Work For list.
Contact
Phone - 0115 947 4500
Email - enquiries@buckles-law.co.uk
Website - www.buckles-law.co.uk/
Curtis Parkinson
The friendly, experienced team here at Curtis Parkinson know exactly how worrying and heart-breaking it can be dealing with certain family issues - whether
that is a death or making decisions for someone who is no longer able to do this for themselves. Because we understand, we offer you free initial advice
and guidance on all matters connected with will writing, trusts, probate and power of attorney from our offices in Bulwell and Clifton, Nottingham.
Contact
Phone - 0800 0566042
Email - law@curtisparkinson.com
Website - http://www.curtisparkinson.com/
Fidler and Pepper
If you die without a Will your belongings are distributed according to a set of rules laid down by Parliament.
Please note that this is a general representation of the state of the law at the time this list was composed. If you want further details about any matters
here you should contact Richard Howard for further information.
Contact
Phone - 0845 9011 960
Massers Solicitors
Massers have been serving the business community in Nottingham for over 100 years.
Over that time we have built an enviable reputation for providing a high quality response to the needs of all our private and commercial clients.
Our range of specialist legal services has expanded and developed to meet the varying requirements of the modern day needs of both private and commercial clients. All of our clients rightly expect a fast, efficient and cost-effective service – one that produces results.
Based in Victoria Street, Nottingham and Tudor Square, West Bridgford, all of our solicitors are trained to work with you and your business in a friendly, prompt and professional manner.
Massers Solicitors is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Nottingham office SRA 566957 and West Bridgford office SRA 568098. We are subject to the SRA Code of Conduct which can be accessed at http://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/handbook/code/content.page
Contact
Phone - 0115 851 1666
Email - law@massers.co.uk
Website - http://www.massers.co.uk/
Rothera Sharp
Nottingham solicitors, Rothera Sharp, offer a dedicated, pro-active legal service to both businesses and individuals across the East Midlands
and beyond and have been providing high-quality legal advice for close to 200 years.
Contact
Phone - 0800 088 6280
Email - enquiries@rotherasharp.co.uk
Website - https://rotherasharp.co.uk/solicitors-for-individuals/wills-and-probate/
Simpson Solicitors
At Simpson Solicitors, we do things a little differently to your typical law firm. We specialise solely in Wills and Probate Law, which is unique and our team are highly-trained experts in this field.
Our aim is simple, to make sure you get the correct advice for your specific circumstances and we strive to tailor-make our services for your personal needs.
Contact
Phone - 01332 424511
Email - See website for email options
Website - https://www.simpsonsolicitors.com/
