When someone passes away, the executor to the estate is legally responsible for settling the affairs of the person who died. This means valuing the estate (property, possessions and money), gaining probate if it’s needed, and paying any inheritance tax that’s due. If there’s a will, you’ll also be carrying out their final wishes. One of those steps involves using the The Northern Echo to place a Death Notice. You can use any local paper and you must place a notice in The Gazette.
The executor process can be complicated. We’ve got a simple checklist for you to download that sets out the steps to follow.
Why do I have to put a Death Notice in the press?
Part of the administration process includes dealing with claims against the estate. This is repaying anyone who is owed money by the person who died.
The law advises that you put a ‘Deceased Estates Notice’ in The Gazette (the official public record) and in a local paper such as The Northern Echo. This gives creditors the opportunity to contact you if they think they are owed money.
What if I don’t put a death notice in the Northern Echo or Gazette?
If there are creditors who approach you after the estate is settled and you didn’t put a notice in the paper or Gazettle, then you could be personally liable for that debt.
How to put a death notice in the Northern Echo and the Gazette
Start by having at least one of these to hand:
- Death Certificate
- Grant of Probate
- Letter of Administration
As well as putting a deceased estates notice, you can use The Gazette to put an advert in your local paper
You can also use a forwarding service so that respondents post goes to The Gazette instead of your personal address
After the death notice goes public, creditors have 2 months and one day to make a claim.
How much do Death Notices Cost?
The Gazette charges £75.90 plus VAT for a death notice. Local papers such as The Northern Echo have their own rates.
How can Settld help?
We can’t put the death notice in the press for you, but we can simplifying the process of end-of-life administration. Our service is free to members of the public and is designed to make it easy for you to notify companies when a loved one has died, and request closure, transfer or amendment of their accounts.
All you have to do is fill in a simple online form. We help you get information for probate and inheritance tax forms. If you’d like to know more about Settld and how we can help, visit our website www.settld.care or you can email support@settld.care or call us on 0333 111 1111 (9am-5pm, Monday to Friday)
