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Where, Who and How to Register a Death in Brighton and Hove: registration, funeral and probate guidance.
This is what you need to know when dealing with a death locally. It can be a daunting task, but our printable list of what to do and who to contact should make it much easier and avoid the legal jungles some folk land themselves in. Many people will be able to manage the Probate side without professional help, but we can introduce you to tailored services should you need help – just call 03 300 102 300 or use the form at the foot of the page. So below, we cover how to register a death in Brighton and Hove, who should register it, funeral directors and quotes, and then what comes next.
Wrong area? (link) Go here. Have an organisation/ business which should be listed? See the foot of this page (CLICK).
- I have tried to cover the essentials on this page. For other useful information and tips, try here or use the search facility. If you fail to find what you are looking for, or you have any useful information or suggestions to add, please let me know.
- PLEASE mention my site when calling any of the firms listed (especially the ones who haven’t helped by supplying contact details and some extra content!) My thanks go to Philip & Sallie Evans of Sussex Funeral Services for sponsoring this page. And don’t forget to register a death in Brighton and Hove within 5 days – barring coroner involvement (ask them.)
For general guidance on probate, why not give us a call on 03 300 102 300? Or use the enquiry form below.
Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD or Green Form)
Delaying this will delay other things; if the death was in a hospital, they may well provide it. If not, notify the deceased’s doctor and request the MCCD. If they haven’t seen the deceased within four weeks, or if the death was sudden, they may refer it to the Brighton and Hove Coroner, which may mean the funeral is delayed. If the death is sudden and unexpected you should contact the Police non-emergency service on 101 to be on the safe side, and always the deceased’s doctor. This is essential before you can register a death in Brighton and Hove, and the MCCD will generally be emailed directly to the Registrar, who may be unable to make an appointment until it arrives. Should it be handed to you, make sure to tell the Registrar when called them.
Who to Notify of a Death in Brighton and Hove.
One of the most important steps after someone dies is to inform their next of kin and friends, especially the close ones. This should be done as soon as possible, and all dependents/family members should also be informed. Ideally, a list should be in place long before: create a plan that outlines who you want to contact, how you want them to be contacted, what details need to be shared and when you will contact them. It may also help to create a physical list or a form with all the necessary details in case further discussions come up while informing people. The address book is the obvious place to look, though these days that might be computerised. Some families organise viewings of the body, but I would suggest these are restricted to adults (personal experience.)
- It bears repeating: register a death in Brighton and Hove within five days – NOT working days, weekends, and Bank Holidays count – or face penalties (unless the Coroner is involved – then they will advise you.) Consider banks: it is surprising how often mysterious withdrawals continue after death, so tell the bank pronto. Similarly, locks, but such changes should only be made by the authorised person – the executor. If there is no Will, then the next of kin (not always whom you would expect) have rights on the order of the Rules of Intestacy.
- The executor should arrange to secure any valuables if the property is no longer occupied – we would recommend photographing everything before removing it.
Link to videos of What to do after a death and of Tell Us Once Service, which advises government-related organisations of the death.
The next step is usually to appoint a Brighton and Hove undertaker to collect the deceased part 1 HOWEVER…
- Thousands of pounds can be wasted if there is a prepaid funeral plan and the wrong funeral director is used. Checkings is free so why not Find a funeral plan.
- Our list of Brighton and Hove Funeral Directors is at the foot of the page.
- If the death in has been referred to the local Coroner, you will need their agreement to move the deceased as they may wish to examine the body. The Brighton and Hove Coroner (in fact, the Brighton Coroners Officers) can be contacted Monday to Friday between 9 am and 5 pm on (01273) 292046. The Coroner’s Office is located within the grounds of Woodvale Crematorium, near the Lewes Road gate. Coroner’s officers would normally be your first point of contact. Brighton Coroner’s Officers work under the direction of the Coroner and liaise with bereaved families, police, doctors and funeral directors. They are based at Brighton Police Station and can be contacted on (01273) 404056 between 8.00 am and 4.00 pm. In an emergency, you can contact the coroner’s officers through Sussex Police non-emergency number 101 and ask for the on-call coroner’s officer.
- Organising the Collection of the Deceased by a Brighton and Hove Funeral Director is less critical if they died in a hospital, as they can normally be kept in the morgue.
- If the deceased lived in a care home, they will carry on charging fees (often well over £1000 a week) until both the deceased and their possessions have been removed. Other residents do find it uncomfortable.
- Technically, appointing the funeral director is the job of the executor, so they should be involved if at all possible. The person who appoints the funeral director can be held liable for the costs if the estate does not pay.
- TIP: banks, if asked in advance, will normally pay out funds from the deceased’s accounts towards the funeral to the funeral director if invoiced direct. They will NOT release funds to reimburse the executor or family if they pay first; they will have to wait until probate is granted (assuming it is needed) and claim as creditors.
Who can register a death in Brighton and Hove?
Where possible, a death should be registered by a relative of the person who has died, but other people who can register include:
- a person present at the death.
- The owner or manager of the residential home where the death occurred.
- The person responsible for arranging the funeral.
Where to Register a Death in Brighton and Hove with the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages within 5 days:
Once it’s been established who should register the death, the next step is to contact the Brighton and Hove Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages (if the person died in Brighton and Hove). You can register the death elsewhere, but the death certificate will always be issued where the deceased died, so there will be an additional delay. Registration is needed so that the funeral can take place and the certificate can be issued and used for important matters such as applying for probate and sorting out any property that was owned by the deceased. You’ll need to provide some personal details, such as their full name, date and place of birth, home address and whether they were married or not. The Registrar will also need to know where, when and how the death happened. What the Registrar needs to know to register a death in Brighton and Hove (PDF download).NB – the 5 days is NOT 5 working days, but a strict 5 days. Call the Registrar if this is a problem as it is a criminal offence, unless the Coroner is delaying things.We recommend taking advantage of the Brighton and Hove Registrars “Tell Us Once” service which will notify many official departments of the death and save time.
Here are the contact details for the Brighton and Hove Registrar of Births, Deaths & Marriages.
You can book an appointment to register a death online or phone 01273 292 016. Map to Brighton Register Office (click on Directions).Registration is free. Death certificates cost £11, payable by Credit or Debit card (most people will need several). They are unable to accept contactless payments.
Use the Tell Us Once Service when registering a death in Brighton and Hove.
Find the Will, if there is one.
The executor appointed in the Will is responsible for everything and should authorise anyone wishing to take anything, as it may not be allowed by the Will. If there is no Will, then the next of kin can act as Administrator (essentially the same as executor). The next of kin is NOT a common-law spouse, who is in a complex situation and should take advice. Be very careful with potentially valuable items as their value needs to be established.
Use the form below if you would like an emailed copy of our Guide to Probate. Be aware that it is common practice for solicitors to store Wills, on the off chance that you will use them for the probate without ever comparing their fees with anyone else’s – when you might be able to cut them by 90%, this is not sensible! Even if the solicitors are named as executors, they can normally be asked to stand down (unless they have started work) if we can find you much lower fees, or you can do it yourselves. We don’t charge anything to see if we can save you money.
If professional help is needed, please contact The Probate Department (brokers), and we will find suitable help at a sensible cost (see the form at the foot).
Be aware that lay executors cannot charge for their time, but they can recover any money they have paid out of the estate and perhaps mileage and post costs – keep records. One executor decided they needed a car to carry out their duties, which was considered quite unacceptable by the court, so be prudent. Professional help can be reimbursed by the estate before distribution/Some executors refuse to give copies of the Will to beneficiaries: it is my personal opinion that this makes people suspicious and may well need to quite unnecessary legal action.
No Will? Then, the Rules of Intestacy apply.
Then the next of kin can apply for probate if necessary, but they are called Administrators rather than Executors and who inherits is decided by the Law rather than the deceased or the family, and disputes are even more likely, with dependants who are not legally family (such as common law spouses) may have to go to Court to obtain anything.
WARNING: some executors or administrators think they can do whatever they think is best with the proceeds and ignore the Will or Rules of Intestacy. This is not so, and unless done in a legal fashion, it is potentially THEFT. They must do what the Will dictates or follow the Rules of Intestacy if there is no Will. It is potentially possible to make changes via a Deed of Variation, but only if any beneficiary losing out is of sound mind and over 18. In that case, Court approval will be needed. We can point you at relatively inexpensive advice.
Government help with bereavement.
Death Notices & Funeral Notices.
This is not the same as a Section 27 Notice (used to protect the executors against unexpected creditors.)The Local Paper in Brighton carries the most death notices, The Evening Argus. Every day, The Argus publishes death notices and funeral announcements from the families of loved ones who have passed away. As well as appearing in print, the death notice pages will remain online as a lasting tribute to the memory of those we have lost. Anyone who wishes to send their own message of condolence can do so by visiting the deceased’s death notice page.On a national basis, Funeral Notices.co.uk is probably the biggest. Most funeral directors will have a similar notice facility on their site, but that will be less widely read.
The Executor should Secure the Deceased’s Property and Possessions after a death in Brighton and Hove.
After the funeral and burial or cremation is complete, it’s time for the executor/s to continue dealing with the deceased’s property and possessions.
- If their property is no longer occupied, the insurance of both buildings and contents needs review, contact the insurers as claims on empty properties may not be paid. More on insurance for empty properties.
- You should also consider changing the locks (see below) as no one knows who has keys. If it is rented, with the landlords’ permission or arrange for it to be valued and cleared quickly to reduce the rent payable.
- Secure any valuables if not already done – we would recommend photographing everything before removing it.
- Tracking down any assets that have been left in a will, administering or arrange to be set up any trusts set up before death,
- You’ll need to contact banks, insurers, mortgage lenders and other companies if applicable. You will need to establish date of death values for both assets and liabilities. HMRC must be informed of the death to ensure they deal with any relevant tax issues, but if the Tell Us Once Service was used, they will be aware..
- If Inheritance Tax is a possibility, we would strongly recommend that you contact us so we can find you a suitable adviser as things can get very complex. For example, and gifts made within the last 7 years may be pulled back into the estate before tax is calculated.
- Where there may be debts, it would be prudent to advertise the death in the approved fashion in the local paper and Gazette to avoid creditors suing the executor. If there is a business too, you may need to advertise in Trade papers as well. Two local newspapers are the Brighton and Hove News (sa***@*****************ws.org or call 07799 895798) and the Evening Argos (01268 469297 se******@**********co.uk)
- Unclaimed assets – many people have privatisation shares and other accounts which they have forgotten about so it is wise to check for unclaimed assets.
- The Bereavement Register helps to stop unwanted direct mail to the deceased.
- BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT YOU THROW AWAY!
Organise Financial Affairs with Banks, Insurance Companies and HMRC.
It is important to contact banks, insurance companies and HMRC as soon as possible after a person has passed away. This means organising financial affairs and dealing with any debts that may be outstanding. For all assets or liabilities you will need a date of death balance, including any interest accrued but not yet added, so the executor might as well ask for it immediately. Obtaining probate (a legal document often required when administering an estate) can also help gain access to certain accounts. If inheritance tax is owed, it must be paid BEFORE probate is granted either from the estate or from the beneficiary’s own resources before inheriting or by way of a probate loan. If there is money in the bank or National Savings, then you may be able to arrange for them to pay towards the IHT before probate is granted.
Pensions and Investments – Brighton and Hove Independent Financial Advisers.
If the estate is significant, you may need the help of a Brighton & Hove Independent Adviser, as may the beneficiaries (or one local to them). Click here: Independent Financial Adviser local to you.
Applying for Probate in Brighton and Hove or Letters of Administration.
Probate is not always required, but the executor should keep careful notes of all assets and liabilities, partly as they have to account to the residuary beneficiaries, and partly as one item may turn up later which cannot be released without a Grant of Probate/ Letters of Administration and if you have not kept the notes, you may have to do everything again! Forms can be obtained by calling 0117 930 2430 24×7 or you may be able to speak to a human eventually on 0300 123 1072.It is my experience that some lay executors have no understanding of the Will or Rules of Intestacy and simply bend them to their own advantage, inviting charges of fraud.
Find a competent and relatively inexpensive probate professional if:
- You want to use a professional but not pay top dollar for no good reason (it is unusual for us not to halve the cost).
- Business interests which need urgent attention.
- The person responsible does not have the necessary administrative skills or time.
- You just don’t want the responsibility and liability. At the end of the day, the estate pays any professional or other fees.
- Inheritance Tax may be payable, and the rules are sometimes complex, especially when lifetime gifts are involved OR
- If there may be a dispute – I have seen so many families fall out over Wills- it can often be prevented if they blame a probate professional!
- If there are complex Wills or any Trusts involved (whether in the Will or not), it is unlikely a layperson without help will do the right thing.
- If the deceased’s home / holiday home has previously been transferred to anyone else but they carried on living or using it.
- Overseas assets, crypto currency, etc. Many “British” companies are listed on US stock exchanges and subject to (say) US probate rules.
Professional probate help could be expensive if you don’t talk to us, as we can arrange tailored services from just checking the forms to doing the whole thing, and we can usually save a great deal of money, often well over half. Call 03 300 102 300.
- If not already done, at this stage, it is wise to open an executor’s account with a bank, as allegations of all sorts can arise if you pay any funds into your own bank account.
- Putting a notice in The Gazette to ensure that there is protection against unknown creditors.
- Searching for unknown assets such as privatisation shares, paid-up insurance policies (some insurance policies require no further payments after a certain age, so there may be no evidence of them on bank statements), etc.
Once Probate or Letters of Administration have been granted.
This could be a very long time later – see probate delays for current information. Bear in mind that it takes time to get together all the information to even apply for a grant, so anything less than 6 months should be considered a minor miracle until things improve. Then the executor can get on with the “estate administration.”
Estate Administration
Once you have the Grant or Letters of administration (and you will need more copies than you expect) then you can gather in the assets, pay any outstanding debts, pay out the specific legacies such as £1000 or the mantle clock, get the estate accounts agreed by the residuary beneficiaries (they are the ones who get a proportion of the estate) and right at the end, once they have all agreed to the accounts, you can pay them. You do need to be certain none of the beneficiaries are bankrupt, and if you fail to do so, the Trustee in Bankruptcy may come after you as the funds should have been given to the Trustee. Many executors have issued Section 27 notices and wait 6 months after the grant is issued in an attempt to avoid problems with unknown creditors.All paperwork should be kept for six years.
ENQUIRY Looking for professional help or assistance with Probate in Brighton or Hove?
Please call us at 03 300 102 300 or use the form below, and we will find you some economic help.
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Brighton and Hove Funeral Directors.
Probate help in the Hove and Brighton area – (do ask to download our free guides.)If you should be looking for a lost funeral plan, try here. If you are a funeral director, or other relevant service, you can add yourself as a comment below – we do ask you to supply us with some information to make this page even more useful to the public (not about you!)
Sussex Funeral Services Ltd 01273 736469185 Portland Road Hove BN3 5QJ www.sussexfunerals.com.
Sussex Funeral Services – Funeral Directors and Undertakers for Brighton, Hove & Portslade, available 24 hours a day, with home visits available if required. For a free “without obligation” consultation please call 01273 736469 or drop into our offices. We are minutes away from Brighton, Portslade, and Southwick, but we can also cover other reasonable distances within East Sussex and West Sussex.
_________________________________________________
Funeral Quote Request
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Brighton and Hove Funeral Directors will typically cover funerals in the following areas:Lewes, Southease, Rodmell, Rottingdean, Saltdean, Newhaven, Southease, Ringmer, Hassocks, Burgess Hill, Portslade, Shoreham, Steyning, Lancing, Henfield, Partridge Green. Please ring the relevant funeral director to check.List of Brighton Funeral Directors & Hove Funeral Directors (how to add or update your listing.)
- Sussex Funeral Services Ltd 01273 736469 185 Portland Road Hove BN3 5QJ Run by Philip & Sallie Evans.
- Arka Original Funerals, 39-41 Surrey Street, Brighton BN1 3PB
- Bowley and Gallagher Independent Family Funeral Directors 209 Preston Road, Brighton, BN1 6SA
- Dignity Arthur Denyer, 18-19 Lewes Road Brighton BN2 3HP
- Mother & Daughter Funeral Directors, 20 Blatchington Road, Hove, East Sussex BN3 3YN Hove Funeral Directors.
- Attree & Kent 2 Hollingbury Place Brighton BN1 7GE Brighton Funeral Directors.
- Bungard Funeral Directors
- S E Skinner 145 Lewes Road Brighton Funeral Directors BN2 3LG.
- Dignity 3 Trafalgar Street Brighton BN1 4EQ.
- Coop Funeralcare 155 Lewes Road, Brighton BN2 3LG.
Arrange a Funeral in Brighton and Hove. Part 2.
Now it’s time to arrange a funeral in Brighton or Hove. This is typically done by the family or (officially) the executor of the deceased, though you can appoint a professional funeral director to take care of this for you. You’ll need to decide on the type of service and burial or cremation, any special requests and who will be invited. You may also wish to contact newspapers or websites if you’re planning a public service. It’s important to keep track of your costs as they can be claimed back from the estate later.If you are not sure if the deceased left any funeral wishes, they are sometimes in the Will.There is a list of cemeteries and crematoria below the enquiry form and a list of Brighton and Hove Funeral Directors above.
Celebrants: Who is going to conduct the funeral?
Or maybe you will have a Wake/ memorial / Celebration of Life Later on.
For many people, it will be the Minister or other religious leader who conducts the service, or maybe the funeral director. The eulogy – potted life story – can be a key element in that, and some families are happy to pay a little more for a professional funeral celebrant who will generally have a meeting with the family beforehand and then draft up a really good presentation for the family and, being accustomed to public speaking, deliver it at the funeral. Some of them also organise the wake or celebration of life. This may be immediately after the funeral, or often some time ahead when family have time to organise a get-together which everyone can attend. Sometimes that will include the spreading of the ashes.
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If you are a minister or celebrant wishing to offer your services in Brighton and Hove, please use the comment form below so I can add your details.- Paul Tredgett
- Sally Winstone
- Jon Matson-Higgins
- Crionna Bradshaw
- Martin Wooller
- Martin Inscoe
- David Harland
- Frances Tulley
- Sam Goodchild
- Tori Bond
Other Professional Services
Independent Financial Advisers.
It is also probable that you would benefit from the services of a genuinely Independent Financial Adviser local to you, both personally or during the course of the probate and estate administration.
Estate Planning Services
The Professional Will Writer (England and Wales) Update your Wills, Powers of Attorney and other legal planning.Independent Financial Advisers.
- Recommendations needed – there is no charge for a standard listing!
Grave Tenders
- Harris Grave Tending 07905 065131
Funeral Flowers
- Blooms For Funerals 01273 640232
Auctioneers and Valuers
- Bonhams Brighton & Hove 01273 220 000
Locksmith
- Owen the Locksmith 01273 796200.
House Clearance
- Mr House Clearance 07817 369691
Estate Agents & Valuers
- John Hoole Estate Agents tel:01273 555115
Wake/ Celebration venues
- The Hove Club 01273 730872
Property to sell?
Avoid chains and disappointments: market value in the bank within 3-5 weeks of grant, click to learn how, as preparation is needed.
Cash Buyer as an alternative.
Free Property Value estimate or formal RICS Valuation for probate.
Estate Agents & Valuers: please add your name and address and phone number ONLY as a comment at the foot of the page.
Locksmiths: always change locks on empty buildings and check the buildings insurance remains valid.
- L B P Locksmiths 07393 674896
Property relevant pages indexed.
Bereavement Support
- Sussex Mental Healthline – freephone 0300 5000 101 – provides 24/7 support from registered clinicians. As well as crisis support it provides psychological support to anyone with general concerns about their mental health, and if needed they can refer you for local assessment and treatment.
- Samaritans – call 116 123 – 24hrs a day, 365 days a year.
- UOK – online or freephone 0808 196 1768 – a network of local services committed to supporting good mental health and wellbeing in Brighton & Hove
- Cruse 0808 808 1677 or 01273 234 007, or send an email to Br******@*******rg.uk.
- Marie Curie 0800 090 2309
- Mind 0300 123 3393
- Winston’s Wish supports children and young people after the death of a parent or sibling. You can phone the national helpline number on 08088 020 021.
- Sands provides support to parents and families whose baby is stillborn or dies soon after birth. To get in touch with Sands, you can phone the helpline on 08081 643 332, or send an email to he******@*******rg.uk.
- Age UK Get in touch on 0800 019 1310 or email be*****************@***********rg.uk .
- Martlets Hospice bereavement service offers support to the family and friends of patients who have received care from Martlets – whether that’s in the hospice itself or out in the community. To get in touch with the Bereavement Team, please phone 01273 273 400 and ask to speak to the Patient and Family Support Administrator. Or you can send an email to be*********@**********rg.uk.
- The Health and Adult Social Care directory is an online directory, listing services and organisations in Brighton & Hove offering bereavement support.
- The Counselling Directory is a support network which can help find a bereavement counsellor to help you cope with grief and adjust to life without your loved one.
Brighton and Hove Cemeteries and Crematoria.
- The Downs Crematorium, Bear Road, Brighton, Sussex, BN2 3PL 01273 572472.
- City Cemetery, Bear Road, Brighton
- Woodvale Crematorium and Cemetery, Lewes Road, Brighton, BN2 2QB 01273 604020.