The General Register Office (GRO) have introduced large increases in the cost of copies of birth, marriage and death records from 16th February 2019.
Families registering a death will now be charged nearly triple the amount following the price increase. Death certificates have risen from £4 each to £11 for each certificate (or £22 if they are multilingual).
Multiple Death Certificates
While £11 may seem a small cost, the death certificate price increases fall heavily on the recently bereaved. It is usually necessary to obtain between 10 and 20 copies of a death certificate to inform different authorities of the death.
Banks, Building Societies and other organisations require original copies and not photocopies, so with only one copy to send off, it would be necessary to wait for the organisation to return it to then send to the next. Given typical turnaround times, this would prolong the probate process by months or even years. With multiple copies they can be sent all at once making the process quicker but now significantly more expensive
If a death certificate is required quickly it will now cost £35 to obtain a high priority certificate.
Getting Help from a Professional
At Backhouse Solicitors we have a team of specialists who can provide expert help with obtaining Grant of Probate and Administering Estates after the death of a loved one. As a professional firm we can certify copies of an original death certificate avoiding the need to pay £11 each for multiple original copies. Most importantly however our team will reduce the stress on you at such a difficult time, leaving you to concentrate on supporting your family.
To find out more please contact us today to book a free initial consultation with one of our expert probate solicitors.
Contact Backhouse Solicitors
Tel: 01245 893400
Email: info@backhouse-solicitors.co.uk
Visit: 17 Duke Street, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 1JU (2 minute walk from Chelmsford train station)
or use the Contact Us form on this website.
