Wright & Co

Registration of death

• A death certificate will be issued at the time of registration.

Is there a will?

• If there is a will, it will name an executor and set out the beneficiaries to the estate.
• If there is no will, an application to court will be required to appoint an executor. A bond of caution (a kind of insurance policy) will need to be purchased.

Who inherits?

• A will can set out the beneficiaries, but it cannot fully exclude certain family members (e.g. the deceased's spouse and children), who are protected by law from disinheritance.
• If there is no will, intestacy rules set out the order of inheritance.

Assets and Liabilities

• The value of every asset and liability at the date of death must be vouched.
• Assets might include e.g. bank and savings accounts, home, shares, car and jewellery.
• Liabilities might include a mortgage or other debts.

Confirmation and tax form

• A Confirmation form must be completed. This includes an inventory of all the deceased's known assets and liabilities.
• The Confirmation form is submitted to the Commissary Office to obtain a Certificate of Confirmation, which allows the executor to dispose of the estate e.g. signing paperwork for sale of house or shares.
• A tax form must also be filled out based on the same inventory as the Confirmation form. This must be completed even if no inheritance tax is due.