Dealing with a death in Bristol
This is what you need to know when dealing with a death in the Bristol area. 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 without professional help, but we can introduce you to tailored services should you need help – just call https://www.theprobatedepartment.co.uk/contact-us-for-probate-help or use the form at the foot of the page.  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 See Probate delays.  Wrong area? Go here.
- I have tried to cover the essentials on this page for other useful information and tips, try here or use the search facility. If that fails to find what you are looking for, let me know.
You might want to download our handy Guide: What the Registrar Needs to Know.
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Please read the whole page as things may not need to be done in the precise order we have suggested, depending on the situation.To avoid confusion, we use the word Executor to include Administrator as the two are essentially the same.
1) A 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 4 weeks, or if the death was sudden they may refer it to the Bristol coroner, which may well mean the funeral is delayed.
2a) Inform Next of Kin and Other Family Members.
One of the most important steps after someone dies is to inform their next of kin. This should be done as soon as possible, and all dependents/family members should also be informed. Ideally, this 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.
2b) The executor should arrange to secure any valuables if the property is no longer occupied – we would recommend photographing everything before removing it. You MUST check with the insurance company as they will have specific requirements for empty properties, without which it is likely claims will NOT be paid, leaving the executor to pay personally. Vacant property insurance (the link is repeated below). It is prudent to have the locks changed as anyone might have keys but be sure that this is not done in a way to alienate anyone and is explained to appropriate beneficiaries, or it will upset anyone expecting access, which should ideally now be supervised.
Link to videos of What to do after a death and of Tell us Once Service which advises Government related organisations of the death.
2c) The next step is usually to appoint a Bristol undertaker to collect the deceased part 1.
Thousands of pounds can be wasted if there was a prepaid funeral plan and the wrong funeral director is used. We are trying to add a list of local Funeral Directors at the foot of the page.
This is less urgent if they died in hospital, as they can be kept in the morgue.HOWEVER, if the Bristol Coroner is involved, you will need their agreement to move the deceased as they may wish to examine the body. Speak to one of the Coroners Officers should the Coroner become involved.  01275 461920 [email protected].If the deceased lived in a care home, they will carry on charging fees (often 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.Some families organise viewings of the body, but I would suggest these are restricted to adults (personal experience.)TIP: banks, if asked in advance, will usually pay out funds towards the cost of the funeral from the deceased’s accounts to the funeral director if invoiced direct to the institution. They will NOT release funds to reimburse the executor or family if they pay the funeral director: they will have to wait until probate is granted (assuming it is needed) and claim as creditors.
Government help with bereavement.
3) Register the Death with a Registrar in Bristol within 5 days:
Who can register the death     What the Registrar needs to know (PDF download).
Once it’s been established who should be notified of the death, the next step is to contact a Registrar of Births Deaths and Marriages in Bristol where the person has died. 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 a 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.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 Registrar’s “Tell Us Once” service which will notify many official departments of the death and save time.Contact details of the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages in Bristol:Bristol Register Office call 0117 922 2800 to make an appointment.The Old Council House, Corn Street, Bristol, BS1 1JG.The entrance is on Broad Street.Southmead Register OfficeSouthmead Hospital, Brunel Building, Bristol, BS10 5NB.Out of hours if the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death has been issued and it is urgent: Â 0117 922 2050.All deaths must be registered with a registrar where the death occurred (but see below if this is inconvenient).When someone dies, the doctor issues a medical certificate of cause of death.If the death happened in Kent or Bristol and you have the medical certificate, you can register the death by telephone 03000 415252.
This service does not include Medway, the London Borough of Bromley or The Royal Borough of Greenwich.
If you do not live in Bristol
If the death happened in Bristol but you cannot attend an appointment here, you can give the details to any registrar in England and Wales. This is called registration by declaration.
Do use the Bristol Tell Us Once Service.
4) Arrange the Funeral in Bristol. Part 2.
Now it’s time to arrange a funeral. This is typically done by the family or (officially) the executor of the deceased, though most people will 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 necessary 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.
5) 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.
If professional help is needed, please contact The Probate Department (brokers) and we will find suitable help at a sensible cost.
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 you anything to save you money.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.
We strongly suggest contacting us to find a competent and relatively inexpensive probate professional if:
- The person/s responsible does not have the necessary administrative skills. OR
- Inheritance Tax may be payable as it is due BEFORE probate can be granted and there are penalties if it is paid more than 6 months after the month following that in which death occurred – which is much sooner than many executors think!
- If there may be a dispute – I have seen so many families fall out over Wills, and it can often be prevented if they blame a probate professional!
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 is potentially THEFT. They must do what the Will dictates, or follow the Rules of Intestacy. 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 to relatively inexpensive advice.
6) The Executor Should Secure the Deceased’s Property and Possessions.
After the funeral and burial or cremation is complete, it’s time for the executor/s to start 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 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.
- Unclaimed assets – many people have privatisation shares and other accounts which they have forgotten about so it is wise to check for unclaimed assets.
- BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT YOU THROW AWAY!
7) 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. 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. This means organising financial affairs and dealing with any debts that may be outstanding. . 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.
8)Â Applying for Probate 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 (the ones who get shares of the estate rather than specific amounts or items), 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 to apply for probate can be obtained by calling 0300 123 1072 (not us). Whilst our site helps with DIY Probate, there are three circumstances where we recommend you contact us to be introduced to a suitable probate adviser who can provide the level of help you need, from just checking the forms to doing everything.
- If you are not good with administration or form filling.
- If Inheritance Tax might be payable: it is more complex and with very tight time limits.
- If there is any possibility of arguments over the estate – that way the probate adviser is the unpopular one, not you!
These steps could well be of benefit to both Executors and Beneficiaries:
- If not already done, at this stage it is wise to open an executors 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 banks statements) etc.
9) 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 the accounts, you can pay them.All paperwork should be kept for six years.Should you need professional support, give The Probate Department (brokers) a call on https://www.theprobatedepartment.co.uk/contact-us-for-probate-help – leave a message after hours or if we are already engaged.There is a list of local crematoria and cemeteries below this form.
10) Information / Enquiry Form:
[contact-form to=”[email protected]” subject=”[email protected]”][contact-field label=”Name” type=”name” required=”1″][contact-field label=”Email” type=”email” required=”1″][contact-field label=”Phone/s” type=”url”][contact-field label=”How can we help?” type=”checkbox-multiple” options=”Please email Probate Guide,I would like to discuss the sensible cost of professional help with probate,I can do the legwork: The Assisted Probate Service might suit me”][contact-field label=”Message” type=”textarea”][/contact-form]
11) Cemeteries and Crematoria local to Bristol.
Canford Cemetery and Crematorium Canford Lane, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol, BS9 3PQ  Telephone: 0117 903 8280 Fax: 0117 903 8287 email: [email protected]South Bristol Cemetery and Crematorium Bridgwater Road, Bedminster Down, Bristol, BS13 7AS Telephone: 0117 903 8330 Fax: 0117 903 8337 email: [email protected]Tree sponsorship in Ashton View Arboretum at South Bristol CemeteryWe offer a tree sponsorship for up to 10 years in memory of a loved one. See the pdfAshton View Arboretum brochure (pdf, 1.90 MB)for full details.If you are interested, visit the staff at the cemetery to discuss your needs and complete a pdftree sponsorship form (pdf, 71 KB).Canford and South Bristol Cemeteries and Crematoria have these facilities:
- A speaker system – both inside and outside of the chapels
- Induction Loop systems
- Disabled access facilities
- Large print hymn books
- Wheelchair available
- CD
- Canford has pew seating for 100 people and South Bristol 100 people
Cemeteries in Bristol
Arnos Vale Cemetery The cemetery is owned by Bristol City Council but managed by Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust. Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust West Lodge, Arnos Vale Cemetery, Bath Road, Bristol, BS4 3EW. Tel: 0117 971 9117 E-mail: [email protected]  Avonview Cemetery Beaufort Road, St. George, Bristol, BS5 8ENBrislington Cemetery Church Hill, Brislington, Bristol, BS4 4LTGreenbank Cemetery was the first large cemetery after Arnos Cemetery to be set up in Bristol in 1871. In the north eastern section of the cemetery are the memorials to the civilians who died during the Bristol Blitz.  Greenbank Road, Easton, Bristol, BS5 6HLHenbury Cemetery Kingsweston Road, Henbury, Bristol, BS10 7QTRidgeway Park Cemetery Oakdene Avenue, Eastville, Bristol, BS5 6QQ.Shirehampton Cemetery St Mary’s Road, Shirehampton, Bristol, BS11 9RN.
Crematoriums in Bristol
12) Areas covered by the Bristol Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages:
Essentially just Bristol. Other deaths can be registered in Bristol, but the actual death certificates will be issued by the Registrar in the place of death, so this will delay things.
13) Funeral Directors in Bristol
Please use the comments function to add local funeral directors.Redfield Funeralcare 65-73 Church Road Redfield BS5 9JR 0117 453 0655.
14)Â Bereavement Support
Cruse 0808 808 1677Marie Curie 0800 090 2309Mind 0300 123 3393
15) Other Relevant Professionals
Estate Planning: making, reviewing or updating Wills and Powers of Attorney – and ongoing service as Tax, the Law and your Personal Circumstances change. Click the link.Financial Advice: 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. Click the link.Celebrants: please add your name and address and phone number ONLY as a comment at the foot of the page.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.
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.