Placing a deceased estates notice in The Gazette should be on everyone’s probate checklist. But what is Section 27 of the Trustee Act 1925? And why does it encourage notice placement?
What is Section 27 of the Trustee Act 1925?
As an executor of a will, one of your responsibilities is to deal with any claims against the deceased’s estate. Therefore, after you receive grant of probate, it’s recommended that you place a notice in The Gazette (under the Confirmation of Executors (Scotland) Act 1823 opens new window, the England and Wales Trustee Act 1925 opens new window, and the Trustee Act (Northern Ireland) 1958 opens new window). It's also recommended that you put a statutory advertisement in a local newspaper if in England and Wales or Northern Ireland.
Section 27 of the Trustee Act 1925 sets out a minimum of two months from the date of publication during which any creditors should contact executors. If the estate includes a property, a notice should also be put in a newspaper local to the property. The Gazette offers a newspaper notice placement service, which can be ordered with your deceased estate notice.
Why is it important to place a deceased estates notice?
Placing a deceased estates notice ensures that enough effort has been made to locate creditors before distributing an estate to beneficiaries. This protects the executor, as well as the trustee, from being liable for any unidentified creditors.
Should a notice not be placed, and a creditor subsequently comes forward after the estate has been distributed, then you may have some personal liability for an unidentified debt.
How do I place a deceased estates notice in The Gazette?
The Gazette offers a complete deceased estates notice placement service, so you can place a notice in both a local newspaper and online in The Gazette in one easy step.
There are six steps to placing a deceased estates notice:
- Obtain at least one of the following documents: grant of probate, letter of administration or death certificate, which you will need when placing the notice.
- Create an account or sign in: as a deceased estates notice placer, create an account or sign in here
- Select the appropriate notice: go to 'Place a notice' from the 'My Gazette' drop down. Select the appropriate Gazette edition, then 'Personal Legal' and 'Deceased Estates'
- Complete the form: Fill out the remaining fields, including uploading the required documentation. See our price list to find the cost of placing a notice.
- Select additional services: Select the additional services you want to include as part of your order:
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PO Box forwarding service: ensure your address remains private
Our forwarding service replaces your address with The Gazette's postal box, so we can forward all correspondence to you, while your address stays private. Bear in mind that if you don’t take this service, your address will be permanently recorded in the public domain.
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Place a notice in local newspapers
You can also submit your newspaper advertisement through The Gazette. This protects executors – if you don’t place a notice and a creditor comes forward after the estate has been distributed, then you may have to pay the creditor yourself. We offer a simple, flat rate to place your advertisement in a newspaper that is local to the deceased. You will be provided with a pdf copy of the advert. You can also buy a pdf or printed copy of your notice, if required.
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Buy a voucher copy for your records
You can also buy a voucher copy of your notice, if required.
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- Submit your notice and check out.
See also
Place a Deceased Estates notice
What to do after someone dies: a checklist
Online probate service expanded in national trial
Find out more
Applying for probate opens new window (Gov)
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Publication updated
30 September 2026