Financial Planning After Bereavement: Steps for International Families

Bereavement is one of the most difficult experiences life brings. When the deceased was internationally mobile — living abroad, holding assets in multiple jurisdictions, or a national of one country residing in another — the practical and financial complexities facing the family are compounded significantly.

This guide is intended to help grieving families understand the key financial steps involved in dealing with an international estate, what to prioritise, and how to access appropriate professional support. It does not constitute legal advice. Every international estate is different; specialist legal and financial guidance is essential.

Investments can fall in value as well as rise. Tax rules change and vary by jurisdiction. Nothing in this article should be taken as advice specific to your circumstances.

The Immediate Period: What Needs to Happen First

In the first days and weeks after a death, families are often overwhelmed. However, certain steps must be taken promptly — and in some cases, delay has legal or financial consequences.

Obtain Death Certificates

Multiple certified copies will be needed — often more than families expect. Banks, pension providers, insurers, foreign government agencies, and probate courts all require certified copies (not photocopies). For deaths abroad, local death registration procedures apply, and getting the death certificate translated and apostilled (authenticated for international use under the Hague Convention) is typically necessary. Obtain at least 10–15 certified copies.

Locate the Will — or Wills

An internationally mobile person may have multiple wills: one for their UK assets, one for property in Spain, one for accounts in Singapore. Each will should govern the relevant country's assets. Conflicting wills, or wills that purport to cover assets in all jurisdictions, create complexity.

If no will exists, intestacy rules apply — and these vary enormously by country. Under English law, an unmarried partner receives nothing under intestacy. Under French law, children have protected shares. Under UAE law, assets may be distributed under Sharia principles unless an expat has registered a will with the DIFC Wills Service.

Locating all wills is urgent. The solicitor or notary who drafted each should hold a copy.

Notify Key Institutions

Priority notifications (within days where possible):

• UK banks and financial institutions
• Pension providers and insurers
• HMRC — the deceased's National Insurance number and UTR reference will be needed
• The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for State Pension if applicable
• Any employer (for death-in-service benefits)
• Local authorities in the country of death and the country of domicile

Most institutions will freeze accounts on notification of death pending probate. This is normal but can create short-term cash-flow difficulties for surviving family members who may have been sharing accounts. Having some personal liquidity separate from any joint accounts is prudent planning in advance of this eventuality.

Probate and Estate Administration

UK Probate

If the deceased had assets in England and Wales, a Grant of Probate (where there is a valid will) or Letters of Administration (without a will) is required before those assets can be released. As of 2026, the process has become increasingly digital, but complex international estates — particularly where domicile is in question — are still handled by the courts.

Applying for probate requires:

• the original will (if any)
• a death certificate
• an inventory of UK assets and liabilities
• completion of inheritance tax forms (IHT400 series) even if no IHT is payable

For very large estates or those with complex asset structures, a specialist probate solicitor is essential.

Overseas Probate

Each country where the deceased held assets typically requires its own administration process. In some countries (notably France, Spain, and most EU member states), the European Succession Regulation (EU Regulation 650/2012) applies — this allows EU citizens to elect the law of their nationality to apply to their estate, reducing (but not eliminating) the need for multiple national probate proceedings. UK nationals are not covered by this regulation post-Brexit.

In practice, many international estates require:

• UK Grant of Probate (or resealing an overseas grant)
• separate probate or notarial process in France, Spain, or other countries where property is held
• local legal process in non-EU countries (UAE, Thailand, Singapore, etc.)

This is time-consuming, expensive, and requires co-ordinating multiple legal firms in multiple jurisdictions. Budget accordingly, and expect the process to take 12–36 months for a complex international estate.

Inheritance Tax

UK Inheritance Tax

As of 2026, UK inheritance tax (IHT) applies at 40% above the nil-rate band (currently £325,000 per individual; up to £500,000 with the residence nil-rate band where the family home passes to direct descendants). These thresholds have been frozen through to April 2031.

Legislation now enacted (Finance Act 2026) brings most unused pension funds within the IHT net from 6 April 2027, with personal representatives liable for the tax. Estates with large pension funds need specialist planning advice now.

Since 6 April 2025, UK inheritance tax has been based on long-term residence rather than domicile. A "long-term UK resident" — broadly, someone UK-resident for at least 10 of the previous 20 tax years — is within the scope of UK IHT on their worldwide assets. Those who are not long-term UK residents are generally within scope only on UK-sited assets. (This replaced the former domicile and "deemed domicile" tests; an individual's prior residence and domicile history can still matter for transitional cases.)

Establishing the deceased's residence history at death is therefore a critical early step with potentially enormous financial implications. The long-term residence test is a complex one — it is not the same as nationality, and it counts tax years of UK residence over a rolling 20-year window. A British citizen who emigrated many years ago may have fallen out of scope; someone who returned to the UK may have come back into it. Professional advice is needed.

Double Taxation

Many countries levy their own inheritance or estate taxes. The UK has a small number of double taxation treaties covering inheritance tax (with the US, France, the Netherlands, South Africa, Sweden, and Switzerland, as of 2026). Without a treaty, foreign inheritance taxes paid may be available as a credit against UK IHT on the same assets, but this is not automatic and must be carefully managed.

Pensions and Life Insurance

UK pension funds have historically fallen outside the estate for IHT purposes (this changes for most unused funds from 6 April 2027 under the Finance Act 2026 rules noted above), but the pension trustees must be notified promptly. Death benefits are paid at trustee discretion according to an Expression of Wish form — if this is outdated (for example, naming a former spouse), trustees will consider all nominees but cannot be directed.

Life insurance policies written in trust also pass outside the estate and do not require probate. If the policy is not in trust, it falls into the estate.

For overseas life insurance and pension arrangements, similar principles apply but the local rules will govern. QROPS arrangements, for example, may have their own death benefit provisions.

Managing the Inheritance: Immediate Financial Decisions

Once assets begin to be released, beneficiaries face significant financial decisions. Some key principles:

Do not rush. Particularly for large inheritances, no major investment decision needs to be made within the first few months. Keeping funds in cash while the emotional situation settles and professional advice is sought is entirely reasonable.

Establish what you have received. List assets by type, currency, jurisdiction, and estimated value. Understand whether each asset is immediately liquid, partially liquid (property), or illiquid (private business interests).

Consider tax residency. The beneficiary's own tax position affects how the inheritance should be handled. A UK resident beneficiary receiving overseas assets may have UK tax reporting obligations; a non-resident beneficiary receiving UK assets has different considerations.

Review your own estate planning. Receiving an inheritance changes your estate. Your own will, powers of attorney, and IHT exposure should be reviewed promptly.

Family Communication and Emotional Considerations

International estates frequently involve family members in multiple countries with different expectations, different legal traditions, and sometimes different family law relationships (for example, a surviving partner who was not legally married in the jurisdiction of death). Family tensions around inheritance are common.

Clear, compassionate communication — ideally mediated by a professional — helps prevent disputes that can be costly and deeply damaging. A family meeting with an independent financial planner can help establish shared expectations and a joint plan.

How Global Investments Can Help

Global Investments works with internationally mobile families navigating estate administration and the financial planning steps that follow bereavement. Our advisers are experienced in managing complex multi-jurisdictional wealth situations with sensitivity and professionalism.

We can assist with asset mapping and inventory for international estates, referrals to specialist probate solicitors and tax advisers in relevant jurisdictions, managing the cash-flow and investment implications of estate distributions, reviewing and updating your own estate plan following an inheritance, and building or rebuilding a long-term financial plan after bereavement.

We understand that bereavement is not merely a financial event. Our approach combines technical expertise with the human understanding that clients dealing with loss need.

Speak with a Global Investments adviser in confidence. There is no obligation, and we work at the pace that is right for you.

This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Tax rules and probate procedures vary by jurisdiction and are subject to change. Always seek independent specialist advice.