Estate administration support

We’re here to help you with any support you may need when using our Estate Administration Service.

Documents we'll need

Once you have decided our service is right for you, we’ll need to gather as much information as we can about the estate. This includes assets and any liabilities.

To make this easier for you, we’ve put together a checklist of documents we might need.

Document checklist PDF, opens in a new window

Download and keep

All information about our service is available in downloadable documents. You can save, print, and keep these if you'd like a copy to refer to in future.

Estate Administration brochure (PDF, 1.23MB)

Estate Administration Service fees and terms and conditions (PDF, 101KB)

Grant Application Service terms and conditions (PDF, 157KB)

Probate Services brochure (PDF, 228KB)

Keep track online

You can follow each stage of the estate administration process and stay in touch with your Estate Officer online. You can access this if you’re using the Estate Administration Service.

Activate your account when you have received your registration details, then log in to get started.

Online account

Glossary of terms

When dealing with a bereavement, you may find paperwork filled with unfamiliar language. To help, we’ve pulled together a list of common terms and what they mean.

Browse glossary
 

Get in touch

You may find administering an estate by yourself a challenge, especially if you need time to grieve. Find out more on the Lloyds Estate Administration Service.

If you think our service is for you, or we’re appointed as the executor of a will, call us on 0800 056 0171. If calling from outside the UK, dial +44 (0)1733 286 482. You can also ask for us to call you back.

Lines are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, except for bank holidays.

Request call back

Let's look at the details

  • Probate is often the term used when referring to the whole estate administration process.

    In England and Wales, the Grant of Representation is a legal document that gives a person or company legal authority to manage a deceased person’s estate. It's also known as the Grant of Probate or Grant of Letters of Administration.

    There are different rules for Scotland and Northern Ireland. You can find out more by visiting the Government websites.

    For Scotland visit the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service.

    For Northern Ireland visit the NI direct government services.

    Who applies for probate

    If the deceased has left a will, those named as executors in it can apply.

    If there’s no will, it’s determined by law who can apply for Letters of Administration. 

    Our Estate Administration Service can support executors, personal representatives or relatives through this process and more.

    Probate conditions

    It’s not always necessary to apply for probate. This depends on the type and value of assets held in the deceased’s estate.

    Before starting the process, you’ll need to:

    • receive a death certificate, or an interim certificate from the coroner
    • find the original will of the deceased if one exists
    • contact all organisations the deceased had a relationship with. This includes banks and utility providers, to understand the value of any assets or liabilities
    • value the estate. You’ll need this as part of your probate application and to determine if there will be Inheritance Tax to pay
    • report the estate’s value. How you do this depends on whether there’s Inheritance Tax to pay.

    The basic Inheritance Tax (IHT) threshold is currently £325,000. Often there’s no tax to pay if you leave anything above that figure to a spouse, civil partner, or charity.

    It’s important to understand how an asset is legally held when there is more than one owner.

    If there’s Inheritance Tax to pay

    You’ll need to report the value of the estate to HMRC. You may need to pay all or some tax upfront. If the deceased’s estate doesn’t have enough funds, you might need to arrange a specialist loan to pay the tax in advance.

  • You can be named as an executor or administrator. You can also be a beneficiary of the same will.

    We recommend seeking legal advice to make sure acting as an executor won’t affect your entitlement. Lloyds Estate Administration Service can give you information on what to do next.

Further support

Bereavement support

We're here to guide you through the practical and money-related matters involving a person’s death. 

How we can help you

Will writing service

Planning for the future can be daunting. Working with Hugh James Solicitors in England and Wales, we're here to support you.

Start planning today

Wealth management

Get access to wealth management advice with Lloyds Wealth. Eligibility applies. Fees may be charged.

Make a plan

Estate Administration Service

Dealing with the estate and affairs of someone who has died can be overwhelming. Find out more about our Estate Administration Service and how it could help you.

Estate administration

Estate Administration Service

Dealing with the estate and affairs of someone who has died can be overwhelming. Find out more about our Estate Administration Service and how it could help you.

Estate administration

Important legal information

Estate Administration Services are not regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority or the Financial Conduct Authority.

Calls and online sessions may be monitored and recorded. Not all Telephone Banking services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.