any probate lawyers out there?

[mumoverseas]

I've just found out my mother died yesterday and I'm just trying to remember what needs doing and in what order. I'm 3,000 miles from home at the moment and trying to sort out visas and flights so I can get home but in the meantime am trying to do what I can from here.

Can't do anything official until Tuesday am due to bank holiday weekend and seem to recall then that I need to go to a registry office and get the death certificate? (or is it the coroner office?)
I know then I need to go and get the will from the solicitors holding it and they won't release it without the death certificate. (Will be using different solicitors for probate than those who prepared/executed the will)

I know I need to notify her bank and my fathers old employers (he died 4 1/2 years ago) to ensure that they stop her widows pension.

What else do I need to do. Feel so helpless at the moment and need to try to focus on doing stuff to keep me sane.

So sorry to hear about your mum. There's some information on this link about what to do re registering the death

Best advice is to get about 5 copies of the death certificate.

You may need to also notify the DWP is she was getting any state pensions or benefits.

You'll also need to contact the utilities companies etc. Do you have any siblings in UK who could help?

I'm sure there is a checklist somewhere of what you need to do - will look.

There's more info here on the DirectGov site My link looks odd but scroll down

thanks for that Tinker, will look at those links, can't think straight at the moment. I do have two siblings in the UK but one is completely useless and buggered off on holiday shortly after our dad died a few years ago leaving myself and the other sibling to sort out funeral/probate etc. seems unfair to leave it all to the other one so want to try to do as much as possible from here. Also, think I need to be doing as much as I can to keep me occupied if that makes any sense?
Feel gutted as was going home in 2 weeks to show off her new grandson who she hadn't yet seen.
Appreciate your advice on a Sunday am Tinker

sorry for your loss, it's a terrible shock. my dead mums solicitors contaccted the banks, pension from my dad company) cos he is dead too) widows pension and everything.

you have to wait for the coroner to pronounce, then you can get the death certificate - the funeral directors can help with this though

sorry in uk you get death cert from registrars office

thanks for that Custardo, I've been sitting here writing a list of who to contact. Hadn't thought of asking solicitors to do it but to be honest, think I'd rather do it myself so I don't feel so bloody useless.

sorry for your loss

we were give thie Age Concern booklet by the hospital (of all people ) when Dad died & found it very useful

My father died 12 months ago yesterday so I know a bit about what you need to do. We sent someone else to register the death as we were not near by and they got 10 copies of the death cert. You need masses of them to send to all kinds of bodies and they all want originals.

The undertakers are very very helpful and can tell you lots of things about what has to be done. I would make the priority trying to agree a convenient date with the family, church etc for the funeral.

If solicitors do the contacting then they charge you. I spent 100 hours on my father's estate but I was so pleased to do it rather than delegate it. It was not hard, just very time consuming.

It's so difficult being separated by distance.

Logistics can be therapeutic. People you need to inform:

• friends/family
• HMRC
• bank/building society
• doctors/hospital (doesn't happen automatically)
• insurance (house, life)
• Gas/electricity/water/phone/TV
• Council

So sorry for you

Hi, am so sorry for your loss. Thinking of you babe. You will need a doctors/consultants cert to register the death. Sorry to be blunt but did your mum die at home or hospital? If its at hospital they will give you the paperwork, if at home you may need to wait till the coroners report, the problem is that the cause of death must be reported on the death certificate. Following this, if you are using a funeral director, you will need to give them a copy of the cert plus the green form (releasing the body).

Its pretty brutal and very breaurocratic (sp). Get lots of copies of the death certificate. It seems expensive but you can get stuff sorted quicker cos everyone wants you to give them an original, which they will take their time to return (please trust me on this). I had to help my mum with my stepdads death, I was lucky cos our funeral director was brilliant, can you pm here? If so please pm me love, I can help you as much as you need!