Why place a Deceased Estates notice?

As an executor of a will, one of your responsibilities is to deal with any claims against the deceased’s estate.After you have received grant of representation (grant of probate), it is recommended that you put a statutory advertisement (under the Trustee Act 1925 for England, or the Trustee Act 1958 in Northern Ireland) in The Gazette and a local newspaper.Placing a Section 27 notice ensures that sufficient effort has been made to locate creditors before distributing the estate to beneficiaries, which protects the executor or trustee from being liable for any unidentified creditors.Should a notice not be placed, and a creditor subsequently comes forward after the estate has been distributed, then you may have some personal liability for an unidentified debt. If the estate includes a property, a notice should also be put in a newspaper that is local to the property.

If you are acting on behalf of a client

What happens after I have placed a Deceased Estates notice?

There is a legal minimum requirement for a claims period of 2 months and 1 day from the date of publication, during which creditors should contact executors to make their claim.
Death Notices