Death of my dad and where to start

[juicy0]

My father passed away on 14th May and his funeral was held last week. A very small affair given the current restrictions but we gave him the best send off we could. My mum is coping okay but has asked me to deal with all the associated admin as she doesn't feel she can manage it.

This is where I need your help please. I've never done this before and I have no idea where to start So far I have organised a zoom meeting with their financial advisor and tomorrow morning I plan to complete the 'tell us once' in-line form.
Dad left a will which looks clear enough and I don't expect any issues to arise but what do I have to do?

Thanks

Did your father's will name an executor?

Probate needs to be applied for - who are named as executors in the will? Quite often it's a relative and the solicitor who drew it up.

Does your mum have access to a bank account?

Thank you for your replies.

My mother is executor of the Will and they have a joint bank account. Dad also had a separate account which mum was POA of as dad had dementia.

How do I apply for probate?

Check with a solicitor but you may not need to apply for probate. As far as I'm aware, if the will is straightforward, e.g. everything goes to your mum, probate is not always necessary.

Just checked, apparently it's nothing to do with how straightforward the will is, it's to do with the value (and complexity) of the estate.

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/family/death-and-wills/dealing-with-the-financial-affairs-of-someone-who-has-died/

www.gov.uk/applying-for-probate/apply-for-probate. Very straightforward, we did it very quickly for mum, but as your mother is executor she is technically the one applying for probate.

If there are investments etc you will need multiple certified copies of his death certificate - you can get these when the death is registered or a solicitor will do it for you for a few pounds.

Good place to start is to gather all the financial information together in one place so you have an idea of the value of the estate and who gets what.

So sorry for your loss

Take your time and be gentle on yourself xx

Please read through the inheritance tax and probate sections of the gov.uk website.
There is a helpline number you can call and discuss any questions you may have.
I did my dad's probate in 2004 and my mum's in 2017 without any problems.
Feel free to ask any specific questions you may have.

Again, thank you for your kind advice and the links posted, I'll do some reading overnight and go and speak to mum about it tomorrow. @purplewithred I did order multiple copies of his death certificate for his private pensions and investments etc so it sounds like that was the right thing to do. I'll get mum to pass me all his statements relating to shares and investments so I can make a list with reference numbers etc for easy reference.

Mum thinks she can't manage because everything is online and shes not very tech savvy and she's probably right!