Useful contacts

HM Revenue & Customs

Look in The Phone Book for your local ‘Tax Office’, or visit www.hmrc.gov.uk

Citizens Advice Bureau

Find your local office in The Phone Book, or visit www.citizensadvice.org.uk

Cruse Bereavement Care

Call 0844 477 9400*, or visit www.cruse.org.uk

General Register Office for England & Wales

Smedley Hydro, Trafalgar Road, Southport, Merseyside PR8 2HH
Tel: 0845 603 7788*, www.gro.gov.uk

General Register Office for Scotland

Ladywell House, Ladywell Road, Edinburgh EH12 7TF
Tel: 0131 334 0380*, www.nrscotland.gov.uk

Probate and Inheritance Tax helpline

Ladywell House, Ladywell Road, Edinburgh EH12 7TF
Call 0845 30 20 900* or visit www.justice.gov.uk/courts/probate

The Bereavement Register

www.thebereavementregister.org.uk

Government advice on bereavement

www.gov.uk/browse/births-deaths-marriages/death

Glossary of terms

Administrator

A person who obtains the Grant of Letters of Administration. This entitles them to deal with the estate if no will was made.

Beneficiary

A person who inherits either:
Under the terms of a will
Or:
By the rules of intestacy (if no will was made)

Confirmation

This is the Scottish equivalent to a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration.

Death Certificate

This is a certified copy of the entry in the death register. The registrar will provide you with as many copies as you ask for. You’ll just need to pay a fee.

This can help to save time if you need to register the death with lots of places at once.

Executor

The person named in a will. This who is deals with the estate and obtains a Grant of Probate.

Grant of Letters of Administration

This is used to appoint an Administrator who can then deal with the estate if no will was made.

Grant of Probate

A formal court document. It is issued by the Probate Service. It confirms the appointment of the Executor named in the will.

Grant of Representation

This is a term used to cover both the:
Grant of Probate and Letters of Administration
Confirmations (in Scotland)

Letters of Administration

A formal court document issued by the Probate Service to appoint an Administrator. This is often the next of kin to the deceased.

This is issued where:
There is no will
Or:
The Executor appointed in the will is unable or unwilling to act

Personal Representative(s)

This is the term used for small estate claims when a statutory declaration or Small Estates Indemnity form is to be used.