Following the death of an individual, it is often necessary to place a statutory notice in a local newspaper. Elisha Bethell, a solicitor in the probate department at Stephensons Solicitors LLP, explains what a deceased estates notice is and how placing a notice protects executors.

What is a statutory notice in probate?

Following the death of an individual, it is often necessary to place a statutory notice in a local newspaper to inform creditors and other interested parties of the individual’s death and that the estate administration process has commenced.

A statutory notice (or deceased estates notice) is a public announcement that is placed in a newspaper to inform any unknown creditors or interested parties of the individual’s death and that their estate is being administered. This will provide these parties and organisations with the opportunity to come forward with a potential claim within a specified period.

This is an important step to follow during the estate administration process, particularly for the executors or administrators who are responsible for distributing the estate.

Why should you place a statutory notice in a newspaper when someone dies?

Under the Trustee Act 1925, a statutory notice fulfils the legal obligation to make reasonable efforts to locate creditors when administering an individual’s estate.

It is always essential that personal representatives (executors and administrators) work in the best interests of the estate and a huge part of this is ensuring that the administration is carried out efficiently and effectively. By placing a statutory notice in a local newspaper as well as The Gazette, the personal representatives of the estate are showing that they have taken sufficient steps to identify any debts or liabilities that the estate may have before they make distributions.

Creditors will have at least 2 months and one day after the statutory notice is published to make a claim against the estate. Once this timeframe has passed, the personal representatives will then be free to distribute the estate to the beneficiaries, and they will no longer be liable for any potential claims after this. If a creditor appears after the notice period, the personal representative will not be liable to settle this debt. Creditors can still try to pursue the beneficiaries but not the executors or administrators of the estate.

Do you legally have to place a notice in a local newspaper when someone dies?

While not legally mandatory, it is an essential step during the administration process as it offers significant legal and practical benefits. This step demonstrates due diligence as it lowers the overall risk and shows that the personal representatives have been legally compliant and have followed the correct procedures to uncover potential liabilities.

It is best practice for legal advisors to provide information on statutory notices to the personal representatives when an estate administration matter has commenced. This is important no matter how straight forward or complex they believe the matter to be. The personal representatives are not always aware of the risks involved and may believe that they are fully aware of the deceased’s financial situation which is not always the case. It is crucial that they are advised on the importance of placing a statutory notice and the significant benefits to them in doing so as the individual representing the estate.

Not only does placing a notice in a local newspaper protect the personal representatives from personal liability, but it also allows for the safe distribution of assets. If a creditor emerges after the notice period has expired, the personal representative of the estate cannot be held accountable for the debt. The notice provides a safe harbour for the representatives as they will be able to distribute the estate without fear that unknown debts could possibly come to light.

What information is needed in a deceased estate notice?

It is important that the notice includes all relevant information about the deceased. This includes:

• full name
• address
• date of death
• occupation

Details such as the name and contact address of the executor/administrator should also be included on the notice. If a company/firm are acting, their name and address should be present on the notice so that correspondence relating to any potential claims can be sent.

How do you place a deceased estates notice in The Gazette?

You can place a deceased notice in The Gazette and a local newspaper at the same time. The process is as follows:

1. Before you begin: make sure you have at least one of the following:

• grant of probate
• letter of administration
• death certificate

2. Decide which services you want: as well as placing a deceased estates notice in The Gazette and a newspaper that is local to the deceased, there is also a forwarding service for deceased estates. This replaces your address with The Gazette's postal box, so all correspondence can be sent on to you while your address stays private. If you do not use the forwarding service, your address will be recorded in the public domain permanently.

3. Once you're ready to place a notice: create an account or sign in, and then go to 'Place a notice' from the 'My Gazette' dropdown.

4. Complete the form: select which Gazette edition, then 'Personal Legal' and 'Deceased Estates', and fill out the remaining fields, including uploading the required documentation.

5. Submit: submit your notice and check out.

Place a deceased estates notice

About the author

Elisha Bethell is a solicitor in the probate department at Stephensons Solicitors LLP, and specialises in Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney and Probate matters.

See also

The duties of an executor: what to do when someone dies

Find out more

Trustee Act 1925 (Legislation)

Images

Adobe Stock

Publication date

11 May 2026

Any opinion expressed in this article is that of the author and the author alone, and does not necessarily represent that of The Gazette.