Bereavement terms and useful contacts

Helpful terms

Administrator

A person who has Letters of Administration. It means they can manage the estate of someone who has died, if they didn't have a will.
 

Beneficiary

A person who inherits either:
Under the terms of a will
Or:
By the rules of intestacy (if no will was made)

Certificate of confirmation

The Scottish version of a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration. 
 

Death Certificate

The legal record of someone's death.
 

Executor

A person named in a will, who can manage the estate of someone who has died. They can also apply for a Grant of Probate. 
 

Grant of Probate

It's a formal document given by the Probate Registry. It confirms the executor's authority to manage the estate of the person who has died. 
 

Grant of Representation

This is a general term which includes Grant of Probate, Letters of Administration or Certificate of Confirmation. 
 

Informant

The person who tells YBS that someone has died but doesn't have the legal documents or authorisation to manage their estate yet. 
 

Land Registry

The Land Registry is a government department. They're responsible for maintaining a database which shows who owns land and property in England and Wales. 

In Scotland it's known as Registers of Scotland. In Northern Ireland, it's known as Land Registers of Northern Ireland. 
 

Letters of Administration

A formal document you need if someone dies without a will. It lets someone manage the estate of the person who has died. 
 

Personal Representative(s)

A person who's allowed to apply for a Grant of Representation and manage the estate of someone who has died. 

If there's a savings account to close

Once we’ve seen the death certificate, you'll be asked to fill in one of the forms below to close the account.

For balances under £30,000 you'll need to complete this form.

For balances over £30,000 you'll need to complete this form and include a copy of the grant of representation.