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When somebody dies, their affairs must be wound up and everything they own needs to be distributed to those entitled to inherit (the beneficiaries). How their estate is distributed will depend on either the terms set out in their will or the rules of intestacy should a will not exist. There are occasions when the beneficiaries of the estate may want to rearrange their entitlement from the deceased’s estate, and this can be done with a legal document called a Deed of Variation (DOV).

According to Canada Life’s latest IHT annual report, the lack of awareness around Inheritance Tax (IHT) has increased in the last 12 months, with 50 per cent of over-45s who are IHT-liable admitting they are oblivious to whether their property could be subject to the tax.

Confirmation is a legal document that must be obtained by an executor before any money and property belonging to the deceased can be uplifted from the holder (such as the bank) and distributed accordingly.

Dealing with the estate of a loved one can be a time-consuming and daunting experience. There are certain aspects, such as registering the death, which have set time limits, however, the full estate administration process will be different for each case. In general, it can take anywhere from six months to 18 months to wind up an estate. In this blog, we will cover some of the complexities within an estate that can cause delays.