Bereavement support

Confirmation (known as Probate in England & Wales) is the legal process for dealing with an estate in Scotland.

A grant of representation (also known as grant of probate or grant of letters of administration) is a legal document that lets an individual manage the estate. 

When you register a death, you’ll get a death certificate. This certificate shows information about the person who’s died, such as the date and cause of death. 

Debts could include rent, credit card balances, loans and utility bills. When somebody dies, any money they owe is paid from their estate first.

An estate is made up of the assets of a deceased person. Any assets that were held jointly aren’t included in the estate. Instead, they remain the property of the surviving owner(s).

The person(s) named in a will to handle the financial affairs of the deceased.

A coroner may issue an interim death certificate if there’s an inquest around someone’s death. We can accept this as confirmation, but may need to ask for some more information or wait until the inquest is complete if we need to assess a death claim.

A person who’s passed away without making a will. If this happens, intestacy laws determine how to distribute the estate.

Probate (known as confirmation in Scotland) is the legal process for dealing with an estate.

A grant of representation (also known as grant of probate or grant of letters of administration) is a legal document that lets an individual manage the estate. 

Sometimes certain assets are held in trust. A trust lets you pass on assets with restrictions around how they’re used. For example, money could be passed onto a child, but they may not be allowed to access the money until they’re 18 years old.

A will is a legal document that sets out how someone wants their estate to be shared out after they die. This is often handled by the executor(s).