Estate administration is the process of dealing with a person’s legal, financial and personal tax affairs after they have died.

It involves obtaining a grant of probate (confirmation in Scotland). But this is just one element of the process.

All of the deceased's assets need to be dealt with. These could be property, investments, personal possessions, and liabilities, such as outstanding debts and estate expenses.

Other aspects of estate administration can include:

• Notifying beneficiaries and dealing with their questions
• Redirecting post and cancelling or transferring utilities
• Dealing with any Income Tax liabilities
• Advising on the distribution of assets to avoid or mitigate tax liabilities
• Calculating and paying Inheritance Tax where relevant
• Dealing with specialist legal work

Although you could decide to administer an estate by yourself, this could take a significant amount of time and effort. It also leaves you personally liable for any mistakes made during the process.

Whether simple or complex, the issues faced with dealing with the death of a loved one are rarely straightforward; not least because they involve procedures most of us are not used to dealing with. Financial matters are the last thing on our minds.

St. James's Place have selected Kings Court Trust as our preferred provider of estate administration, to deliver an estate administration service. Kings Court Trust is one of the leading specialist estate administration service providers in the UK and, like us, they place their clients at the very heart of everything they do.