4 Top Tips on Administering a UK Estate from the EU

Not being in the UK but having the responsibility of administrating an estate that is located in the UK is a challenging prospect. In this article, we’re going to provide four helpful tips on administrating a UK estate from the EU.

Administrating an estate, in general, is a difficult thing to do, especially when you are suffering from the loss of a loved one. To deal with a UK will when you are located in the EU is near impossible without helpful advice.

Mistakes often happen during administration when the executor isn’t aware of their responsibilities, and where errors occur, so do estate administration disputes.

The process of administrating an estate is complex, with the job requiring many different things, such as valuing the estate, contacting beneficiaries and more. This is going to be tricky for someone not located in the UK. Keep reading for four helpful tips on administrating a UK estate from the EU…

What does an estate executor do?

There are plenty of tasks involved with administrating an estate, and it can take a lengthy amount of time. Some of the common tasks involved include:

• Valuing the estate: this involves contacting different places which hold the assets, such as banks, pensions providers, investment providers, etc. Sometimes not all assets will be held in these places, meaning you will need to look through documents to ensure all assets are made known.
• File tax return for Inheritance Tax (IHT): after Inheritance Tax has been calculated, a tax return will need to be submitted to HMRC.
• Applying to the Probate Registry for the Grant of Letters of Administration: this allows the executor to have legal rights to deal with the estate.
• Placing a Statutory Advertisement: this is submitted in the London Gazette and any local newspaper to where the deceased lived, meaning any unknown beneficiaries and creditors can make themselves known.
• Collecting all assets: such as selling property.
• Settling all debts
• Distributing the Estate

Citizens Advice provide helpful advice on what an executor does, as well as other informative information on how to deal with the property of a person who has died.

How can I administer a UK estate from the EU?

Truthfully speaking, administrating an estate from the EU is going to prove challenging but not impossible. Some of the ways you can make it easier for yourself include:

1.    Leave It to The Other Executor(s)

Sometimes estates have several executors, and you might be fortunate enough to find the other ones are located in the UK. This means that it would make more sense for them to administer the estate rather than you doing it from the EU.

If there are tasks you can help with from the comfort of your home, then by all means do, but realistically it makes more sense for the other executors to handle it.

2.    Travel to the UK

If you are able to do so, it might make your executor role far simpler if you travel to the UK and sort out the things that are difficult to do from the EU.

We recognise that this isn’t always possible to do, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic with the rules, tests, and the current increased prices. No doubt you also have your own life, job, family, and other things to take care of where you live.

3.    Renounce As an Executor

If you have attempted the above tips but the role of an estate executor is not working for you, or if you are concerned about the role being too difficult when you are located in the EU, you can choose not to continue as an executor and instead renounce your power as an executor.

To renounce your power, you will need to submit a formal deed of renunciation and submit this directly to the Probate Registry.

4.    Contact a Local Solicitor

Even if you were located in the UK, we would recommend seeking specialist assistance from a solicitor. But, being located in the EU, we would even more so recommend having the help of a solicitor who has considerable experience assisting with probate, and more so one that can potentially act as an administrator on your behalf.

UK Estate Administration Can Be Hard from Abroad

What we can conclude from this article is that attempting to administer an estate from abroad can be a difficult job to do. Most of your options lead to either travelling to the UK, contacting a local solicitor to administrate the estate, renouncing your rights as a solicitor, or leaving it to another executor (if applicable).

Realistically the prospect of executing an estate is difficult, and being located abroad can make the situation 10 times worse.

Have you executed an estate while located abroad? Let us know in the comment box below.

Please be advised that this article is for general informational purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for advice from a trained estate administration professional. Be sure to consult an estate administration professional if you’re seeking advice about administering an estate. We are not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information on this site.