Please accept our most sincere condolences on your recent bereavement. If
you’ve lost a loved one, and/or you’re responsible for administering an estate,
we’re here to help.
It’s very easy to get in touch with us
If you know the name of your loved one's Client Director, you can find their direct contact details here.
If you're not sure who to contact, please get in touch with our experienced and understanding Client Support team, who will find the right person to help you. You can call them on 01892 701 803 or email clientsupport.hwam@handelsbanken.co.uk.
We're here to help
We've created a guide to our bereavement service, which you can view below. We want to do everything we can to ensure that the next steps are as stress-free as possible for you.
Our guide contains information on tackling the administrative issues involved in the loss of your loved one, including the steps you should take to move forward with us.
Find out more
Our guide contains most of the information you need to move forward with us.
However, it may also help you to see the answers to some of the questions below:
If your loved one held an account with us (or if you think they might have done), the first thing to do is get in touch with us.
Please also take a look at our bereavement guide, which may answer more of your questions.
Contact our Client Support Team: 01892 701 803 or clientsupport.hwam@handelsbanken.co.uk
We may need to see an official will to make sure we’re dealing with the correct representative(s) of our late customer.
Someone who dies without a will is said to have died ‘intestate’. Different legal rules apply to this situation, known as the ‘rules of intestacy’.
Broadly speaking, if someone has died intestate, close family members can apply to deal with their estate. However, the rules of intestacy are complex and you may wish to seek legal advice to help deal with your loved one’s estate.
If you’ve been named as an executor (appointed in someone’s will to administer their estate) but for any reason you would prefer not to act in this role, you can elect to pass the role on to a qualified professional.
A letter of authority confirming your wish to stand down as executor will suffice to excuse you from the role of executor. We have a standard letter that you can use as a basis for confirming your decision – please get in touch if you’d like us to share this with you.
Contact our Client Support Team: 01892 701 803 or clientsupport.hwam@handelsbanken.co.uk
You should register your loved one’s death according to the local regulations of the country where they have died. A death certificate issued abroad can usually be used in the UK, but if it’s not in English, you’ll probably need to get an official, certified translation to continue dealing with your loved one’s affairs.
You might also choose to register your loved one’s death with UK authorities, so that it’s recorded with the General Register Offices in England and Wales. To do this, contact the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-to-do-after-a-british-national-dies-abroad
If the person who’s died had assets abroad, we would strongly recommend seeking legal advice on dealing with these assets.
It’s normal to feel concerned about fluctuations in financial markets, especially if dealing with investments is something new for you.
If you’re worried about the value of your loved one’s investments, please do get in touch with us to discuss the situation with a Client Director.
Contact our Client Support Team: 01892 701 803 or clientsupport.hwam@handelsbanken.co.uk
Normally, our late client’s account would not be liquidated (made into cash) until Probate has been granted and we have seen the original Grant of Probate (called a Certificate of Confirmation in Scotland). Probate gives you the legal right to deal with someone’s property, money and assets after their death.
If you’re worried about the value of your loved one’s investments, please do get in touch with us to discuss the situation with a Client Director.
Contact our Client Support Team: 01892 701 803 or clientsupport.hwam@handelsbanken.co.uk
If your questions following bereavement relate to a Junior ISA, we understand that the investor in question is likely to be a child. Their account can probably be dealt with as a ‘small estate’, where the value of the investment is passed to the parents. In this situation it is best for you to contact us to discuss how to proceed.
Contact our Client Support Team: 01892 701 803 or clientsupport.hwam@handelsbanken.co.uk
If your loved one held an ISA with another provider (rather than Handelsbanken Wealth & Asset Management) then you will need to contact the other provider to obtain details of the investments held.
If you are uncertain about the next steps, please contact the Client Director who dealt with your loved one’s account – you can find their direct contact details here.
If you're not sure which Client Director to contact, please get in touch with our experienced and understanding Client Support team on 01892 701 803 or clientsupport.hwam@handelsbanken.co.uk. They’ll find the right person to help you.