Made for England and Wales
UK terms throughout: executor, administrator, probate, Inheritance Tax, Tell Us Once and the deceased estates notice, with DD/MM/YYYY dates. It does not cover Scotland or Northern Ireland.
Available now on Etsy
UK Executor’s Workbook for England and Wales
A calm, practical workbook for the person dealing with an estate. Keep every date, call, payment and letter in one place, so you can work through probate one page at a time instead of juggling scraps of paper.
£11.99 · Instant PDF download · Standard and Large Print both included · Fill in on screen or print on A4
In short
The After They Die UK Executor’s Workbook and Probate Checklist is a fillable PDF for executors and administrators in England and Wales. It walks you through the job in order, from registering the death to the final estate account, with a timeline, call log, estate ledger, expenses page, beneficiary records and five letter templates. In the free Adobe Acrobat Reader app, it works out four key dates for you. One £11.99 download from Etsy includes both a Standard and a Large Print version, plus a short Start here guide. It is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Deadlines worked out for you
Enter three dates in Adobe Acrobat Reader and the workbook fills in four key dates automatically. Always check them against official guidance and your own letters.
Standard and Large Print, both included
The same sections in two sizes, so co-executors can each use the version that suits them.
Keep a clear record
A call log, estate account ledger, expenses page and receipts help you show what you did and when if anyone asks.
What’s in your download
Workbook: Standard
The full workbook in standard-size text, which suits most people.
Workbook: Large Print
The same sections, with bigger text and more space to write. This can help with low vision, arthritis or shaky handwriting.
Start here
A short guide to saving, filling in and keeping the workbook safe, and knowing when to get help.
All three files are available through Etsy after payment is confirmed: You → Purchases and reviews → Download files. Use Etsy in your browser to download your files.
What’s inside
Work through it in order, and skip what doesn’t apply.
- Start here: executor or administrator, and what the job involves, in order
- How to use this workbook
- Doing it yourself or getting help
- Timeline and key dates
- The first two weeks
- The will and key documents
- Contacts and call log
- Banks and building societies
- Pensions, insurance and benefits
- Property and investments
- Belongings and digital
- Debts and bills
- Estate value and Inheritance Tax
- Applying for probate
- Deceased estates notice
- The empty home
- Keys and visits log
- Clearing the home
- Room-by-room inventory
- Estate account ledger
- Executor’s expenses
- Beneficiaries
- Updates to beneficiaries
- Distribution and receipts
- Final estate account
- Letter templates: bank or building society; utilities and council tax; home insurer; update to beneficiaries; receipt and discharge
- Glossary
- Closing the estate
- Notes
Deadlines worked out for you
On the Timeline and key dates page, enter the date of death, the date the deceased estates notice was published and the date of the grant. In the free Adobe Acrobat Reader app, four dates then fill in by themselves: the Inheritance Tax payment date, the IHT400 deadline, the creditor deadline and six months after the grant. Other viewers may not run these calculations; on paper the page explains how to work each date out by hand.
Always check key dates against GOV.UK guidance after a death or your HMRC letters. Calculated dates are not legal advice or confirmation that it is safe to distribute the estate. If anything is disputed or complicated, speak to a solicitor.
How it works
Buy and download from Etsy. Your files are available after payment is confirmed.
Open in the free Adobe Acrobat Reader app. Type into the boxes on a computer, tablet or phone, or print on A4 at Actual size (100%) and write by hand.
Start with the timeline. Enter the key dates first, then work through the first two weeks page.
Write things down as you go. Every call in the call log, every payment in the ledger, and your own costs on the expenses page. Save often and keep a backup.
Web browsers, Apple Preview, Microsoft Edge and your phone’s built-in viewer may handle typing, ticks or saving differently. Use Adobe Acrobat Reader and reopen your saved copy to check your answers are there. The included Start here PDF explains using the workbook; the free family guide covers the wider process.
Who it’s for
- Executors named in a will in England or Wales
- Administrators dealing with an estate where there is no will
- Co-executors who want to keep consistent records
- Family members helping an executor stay organised
- Anyone who prefers bigger text: Large Print is included
It is a PDF you keep, not an online shared workspace. If you share a copy with a co-executor, agree who maintains the current version and keep it secure.
Who made it
I’m Simon D Campbell. For more than 17 years, my biohazard and forensic disinfection team at Shropshire Expert Cleaners LTD has worked alongside executors and families after a death, from clearing homes to supporting them through probate. I’ve seen how much harder the job gets when dates, calls and receipts are scattered everywhere. I wrote this workbook to help with that.
Published by Circlework Ventures Ltd.
Good to know
- General information for England and Wales, not legal or tax advice. If anything is disputed or complicated, speak to a solicitor.
- Written for England and Wales only. The legal steps differ in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
- Never write passwords, PINs or full account numbers in it. For bank and card numbers, use only the last four digits. Keep digital and printed copies securely.
- A digital download: no physical item is posted.
- Digital downloads are not normally returnable or exchangeable once downloaded. Your statutory rights are unaffected. If there is a problem with your file, message us through your Etsy order so we can fix or replace it.
- The free family guide on this website stays free, always.
Save with the bundle
Planning ahead for yourself as well? The End-of-Life Planner is the companion to this workbook: you fill the planner in now, and the workbook helps whoever deals with an estate afterwards.
Ready when you are
You don’t have to do everything at once. Most of this happens over months, not days. Start with the timeline and take it one page at a time.
Frequently asked questions
What is included in the download?
Three PDF files: the workbook in Standard print, the same workbook in Large Print, and a Start here guide. They are all included in one £11.99 purchase.
Does it work out the deadlines for me?
Yes, in the free Adobe Acrobat Reader app. Enter the date of death, the date the deceased estates notice was published and the date of the grant, and four key dates fill in automatically. Other viewers may not run the calculations; on paper the page explains how to work them out by hand. Always check dates against GOV.UK or your HMRC letters. A calculated date is not confirmation that it is safe to distribute the estate.
Can I fill it in on my phone or computer?
Yes. Open it in the free Adobe Acrobat Reader app on a computer, tablet or phone and type into the boxes, saving as you go. Your phone’s built-in viewer may not show typing or ticks properly. Reopen your saved copy to check your answers are there.
Can I print it instead?
Yes. Print it at home on A4 at Actual size (100%) and write by hand.
I’m an administrator, not an executor. Is it still for me?
Yes. If there is no will, the person who deals with the estate is usually called the administrator. The workbook covers both and calls you ‘the executor’ throughout.
Does it work in Scotland or Northern Ireland?
No. It is written for England and Wales only, and the legal steps differ elsewhere in the UK.
Is this legal advice?
No. It is general information, not legal or tax advice, to help you stay organised. It includes a page to help you decide whether to get professional help, for example if Inheritance Tax looks likely or the family disagree.
Can I get a refund?
Digital downloads are not normally returnable or exchangeable once downloaded. Your statutory rights are unaffected. If there is a problem with your file, message us through your Etsy order so we can fix or replace it.
How is this different from the planner?
The End-of-Life Planner is filled in by you, now, so your family knows your wishes and where things are. The Executor’s Workbook is for whoever deals with an estate after a death. You can buy them together in the bundle.
Guides for executors
This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Every estate is different. If anything is disputed or complicated, speak to a solicitor. The Executor’s Workbook is published by Circlework Ventures Ltd.