Banbury Living Dec 2022 - Jan 2023

A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO
BEREAVEMENT
The emotional aspect of dealing with a
bereavement – even one that was expected
– can be devastating, but when you start
thinking about the practicalities of what to
do next it can become even more stressful
and overwhelming. It can be very easy
to over complicate the process and get
lost on your journey - the experts at
the Bereavement Advice Centre have
compiled this extensive guide...
The steps below outline the main areas
you’ll need to cover from the day your
loved one passes away to the day the
estate administration is completed.
STEP 1 – WHERE DO I START?
During the first few hours after a loved
one has died, it can be very difficult
knowing what to do with yourself.
Knowing where to begin and taking that
first step can be the hardest bit. While
you’re waiting to collect the official
paperwork from the doctor or the hospital
to register the death, there are a few
things you can be getting on with if you
want to.
One of these is finding any paperwork
which might detail, for example, whether
there are specific funeral wishes or
requests for organ/body donation, as
these need to be identified very soon
after the death. If you feel up to it you can
also begin to call family and friends to let
them know what’s happened.
STEP 2 – REGISTERING THE DEATH
With the exception of when the Coroner
is involved you’ll usually be contacted
by either the hospital or the deceased’s
doctor to arrange collection of the
Medical Certificate of Cause of Death
(MCCD for short). You can then make
an appointment with the Registrar to
complete the official registration, it’s
worth bearing in mind the death needs
to be registered in the county where the
person died, not where they lived.
STEP 3 – MAKING THE FUNERAL
ARRANGEMENTS
It’s important to remember when you
hand over the “Green Form” you are
personally entering into the contract for
payment with the Funeral Director.
If you’ve found a Will or even a Letter
of Wishes this might give you an idea
about what your loved one wants for their
funeral. This can be a relief for some as it
takes some of the decisions out of their
hands, but it can be a concern for others
especially if there isn’t enough money or
the requests are unrealistic. It’s important
to understand that funeral wishes in a Will
aren’t legally binding and don’t have to
be followed if they’re not possible.
STEP 4 – BUILDING A PICTURE OF
THE ESTATE
If you had Power of Attorney or managed
the deceased’s finances you will probably
have a clear picture of how the estate is
put together. Alternatively the deceased
may have been very organised, leaving
you with a folder or filing cabinet
containing all the information you’ll need
to look after the estate.
If you aren’t in this position don’t panic,
it may take a bit more investigating but
you will get there. Take some time to
check through any paperwork for details
of who they dealt with for banking and
other matters. You’re only looking for
a name – it doesn’t matter at this point
whether accounts are open or closed. A
starting point could be a debit or credit
card in their purse or wallet, a bank
statement, a utility bill or even a memory
of a conversation about going to a certain
bank or building society. It all helps.
STEP 5 – LETTING EVERYONE KNOW
There will probably be more people to tell
about the death than you expect, and it
can be hard to think of everyone.
It can be helpful to make two lists, one
for personal e.g. family/friends/work
colleagues and another for professional
e.g. financial organisations/insurance
companies/family solicitor/accountant/
financial advisor. You can then use the
lists to make additional notes, which will
help you keep track of what you have
done and what is left.
STEP 6 – WORKING OUT IF YOU
NEED PROBATE
It’s worth remembering that Probate is
only needed in certain circumstances,
not just because a Will hasn’t been
made or because the total value of the
whole estate seems high. There are
different factors which make Probate
a requirement, but in simple terms it is
decided by the value of individual sole
assets within a person’s estate. There are
exceptions to this rule so call us and we
can check for you.
STEP 7 – THE FINAL STEP
Once you’ve obtained Probate (if required)
then you can arrange for any sole assets
to be sold or transferred. Before you hand
over anything to the beneficiaries you’ll
need to make sure any debts are settled
and Inheritance Tax has been paid.
When you’re comfortable that all debts
have been paid you can either:
Follow the instructions in the Will to pay
any Legatees/Beneficiaries OR Distribute
the estate to the deceased’s relatives in
line with inheritance laws called the Rules
of Intestacy
It’s really important that you keep clear
records that show what money is coming
in and out of the estate as this will give
you a clear paper trail showing how the
estate has been administered. You can
then put these together with the Death
Certificate, the Will (if there was one) and
the Grant of Probate (if this was required)
to form your estate accounts.
Edited from an article published for
the Bereavement Advice Centre, you
can find more information and advice
at bereavementadvice.org or call 0800
634 9494.
30 | www.banburyliving.co.uk