One of your responsibilities as an executor of a Will, is to deal with any claims against the deceased’s estate.  Perhaps you were unable to identify all beneficiaries or creditors ahead of distribution. This may leave you vulnerable  to potential claims once you distribute the estate.  Following a Will search it is recommended to place a Deceased Estate notice in The Gazette and a local newspaper, known as a statutory advertisement under the Trustee Act 1925 for England and Wales,  The Confirmation of Executors (Scotland) Act 1823 or the Trustee Act 1958 in Northern Ireland.in The Gazette.  The Gazette is the UK’s Official Public Record and is afforded legal standing in a court of law.

What is a deceased estates notice?

A deceased estates notice is an advertisement to all potential creditors and beneficiaries that they

need to come forward to make a claim against a deceased’s estate before it is distributed. These notices are placed in The Gazette, the Official Public Record, which is afforded legal standing in a court of law.

The notice contains the deceased’s name, their address and other information such as their occupation, plus the contact details of the executor/administrator of the will. Deceased estates notices are sometimes referred to as ‘statutory advertisements’ and can also be placed in a newspaper local to the deceased.

Why are they important?

It can often be difficult to know the full extent of a person’s credit history and identify all companies or

persons who are owed money from the estate. For example, outstanding finance on household goods

or a ‘buy now pay later’ credit agreement. These companies would be able to pursue a claim to the

estate and would require payment prior to the estate being distributed. Placing a deceased estates notice demonstrates that enough effort has been made to find creditors before distributing an estate to its beneficiaries. This protects the executor/administrator from being personally responsible for money owed to any unidentified creditors. 

What happens after the notice is published?

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, claims to the estate must be made within two months of the notice being published. However, it is recommended that the claim date be set at six months in Scotland. 

What is The Gazette?

The Gazette is the UK’s Official Public Record and dates back to 1665. It holds millions of public notices including insolvency, deceased estates, government and state notices.