Probate and confirmation

Once probate has been granted, the executors or administrators of the estate can begin the process of distributing assets. This document can be used as part of this process by creating a receipt to be signed by the beneficiary of the gift, thereby providing you with evidence that you have fulfilled your obligations. This document will create up to six receipts - if there are more than six beneficiaries, you will need to use this document again until you have the required number. Please note that you can only use this document in relation to estates in England & Wales or Northern Ireland.

If someone leaves you something in a will but you'd rather it was left to someone else, you can use this deed of variation to transfer it to them.

You can use it if you've been left:

• a particular item (or items)
• money
• some or all of the deceased's residuary estate (i.e. whatever's left after any other gifts have been made).

You can transfer it to:

• one or more people
• one or more charities, political parties or other organisations; or
• any combination of the above.

You can choose whether you want to transfer some or all of the gift (unless you've only been left one specific item).

You can also choose how you want the gift to be treated for the purposes of Inheritance Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax.

You'll need the names and addresses of all of the will's executors, all of whom will need to sign this deed.

Note: the deed of variation is for tax purposes only. If you want to use it to redirect land or buildings, you should get legal advice as there will be extra steps you'll need to take to transfer it into the names of the new owners.

When a person dies leaving behind an estate, which can include a house or a flat, as well as money, shares and personal possessions, you'll usually need to apply to the Probate Registry to get a Grant of Representation before you can deal with the assets of the deceased's estate. This means that you can't, for example, sell their house or get money from bank accounts until a grant has been issued.

If an Inheritance Tax account/return is required, you'll need to complete this before completing this form, as certain of the figures will need to be copied from the tax account/return to this form. If an Inheritance Tax account/return is not required, you'll still need to include in this form certain values for the estate of the person who has died. You can get these by using HMRC's Inheritance Tax checker.

Use this product to apply for the grant. It includes forms PA1A and PA1P; it will select the correct form for you according to your circumstances. Note that you can only use this to make an application for a grant in England or Wales.

When applying for a grant of probate, the executor(s) named in a Will or the administrators must determine the value of the deceased's estate at the time of his/her death and, in this process, you can use these letters to obtain a final statement of account from the respective provider of a service as stated in the letter title provider. Please note that you can only use this documents in England & Wales and that you must also enclose a copy of the death certificate when using these letters.

If you have been appointed an executor in a Will, and you do not want to act in this role, you can use this document to refuse your appointment. People often find, particularly after the death of a friend or relative, that they have been appointed an executor of his or her Will. They may have been unaware of the appointment and may not wish to take on the responsibility. However, even if they were asked in advance whether they were prepared to act as an executor and agreed to do so, they have an opportunity to change their minds.