OUR CLIENTS
Through our executorship company Carey Olsen Executors Jersey Limited we provide a professional estate administration service for family members, individuals, lawyers, or other professionals who are acting as executors or administrators who are heirs of a deceased person's estate.
WHY DO I NEED A JERSEY GRANT OF PROBATE OR ADMINISTRATION?
Jersey is an independent legal jurisdiction for estate administration purposes. When a person dies leaving assets in Jersey in their sole name with a value of over £10,000, their personal representative must obtain a Jersey Grant of Probate or Administration in order to receive the Jersey assets. If the value of the estate is under £10,000 a small estates exemption may apply. It is not possible to "re-seal" a Grant from the UK or a foreign jurisdiction.
The Jersey court issues a Grant of Probate if the deceased left a Will or a Grant of Administration if they died intestate.
EXCEPTION
If assets are held in joint names, the assets will usually pass to the surviving account holder on production of the death certificate.
BRITISH DOMICILED ESTATES
If a person dies domiciled in Britain and a corresponding British Grant of Representation has been obtained, an application for a Jersey Grant can be made under the 'Fast-Track' process. This must be made through the office of a Jersey agent such as Carey Olsen. Please see our Fast-Track factsheet for more information.
WILL OR INTESTACY?
If the deceased died without making a Will he is said to have died "intestate" and we need to find out who is entitled to administer the estate according to the laws of the deceased's country of domicile. This may be established by production of a foreign grant, declaration or notarial certificate.
WHAT IS AN EXECUTOR/ ADMINISTRATOR?
An Executor is the personal representative of the deceased who is named in the Will. An Administrator is the person appointed as the personal representative in an intestate estate. An application for a Grant for the estate of a non-Jersey domiciled individual requires a personal appearance in the Royal Court of Jersey by the Executor or Administrator or their duly appointed local agent. Carey Olsen Executors Jersey Limited is our in-house executorship company which provides an independent estate administration service including acting as agent for a non-Jersey Executor or Administrator.
WHY IS DOMICILE IMPORTANT?
The deceased's domicile will usually be the place where they lived and intended to stay for the rest of his or her life. If a British or foreign Grant of probate/ administration or equivalent has already been obtained then this may already be evident. In cases of doubt, expert legal advice may need to be obtained. This information is important as the rights to inherit assets are usually governed by the provisions of the law of the deceased's domicile.
WHAT DOCUMENTS ARE REQUIRED?
| A Death Certificate | A certified copy of the death certificate with translation if appropriate | |
| (A) | Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration | A court sealed and certified copy of the Grant of Probate and Will or Letters of Administration from the jurisdiction in which the deceased was domiciled (or equivalent as for B & C below). |
| or (B) | Inheritance Certificate from Foreign Court | Sealed and certified by the foreign Court and translation if appropriate. |
| or (C) | Notarial Declaration or Certificate of Will | Sealed and certified by the notary and translation if appropriate. |
| Please note: these documents (A), (B) or (C), should bear the seal and be certified by the appropriate official at the Probate Court, other Court or Notary's office that issued, or is holding, the original documents. Certification by any other person or an office copy is not acceptable. | ||
| Translations | The translations of official documents may be required as appropriate | |
| Client Identification | We need client identification in the form of a certified copy passport and utility bill or bank statement (of no more than 3 months old) confirming the residential address(es) of the personal representative(s). | |
| Details of Assets | Confirmation of the value of the Jersey assets. Bank statement or letter from bank or share valuation. | |
| Terms of Business | Copies of our terms of business signed by the personal representatives, beneficiaries or heirs. | |
| Other Documents | We may require copies of other wills made, affidavits of fact or foreign law, renunciations, stock and share certificates and beneficiary identification documents. | |
| Additional Information required | Details of beneficiaries and whether they or the deceased lived in Jersey. Maiden names of women who have married. | |
| Information about the estate | We may also seek information about the history of the assets in the estate to enable us to comply with local anti-money laundering and terrorist financing legislation. | |
All original documentation will be retained permanently by the Jersey Probate Court.
COSTS
There are no death duties, estate duty, inheritance taxes, capital gains taxes or value added taxes on foreign domiciled estates. However, Jersey Stamp Duty is payable to the Royal Court of Jersey upon application for the Grant at a rate of 0.5% of the date of death value of the Jersey assets (rounded up to the nearest band of £10,000) on estates with a value of up to £100k and at a rate of £75 per each additional £10,000 (or part thereof) thereafter.
Jersey Estate sworn not to exceed:
| £10,000 - Nil | £20,000 - £100 | £30,000 - £150 |
| £40,000 - £200 | £50,000 - £250 | £60,000 - £300 |
| £70,000 - £350 | £80,000 - £400 | £90,000 - £450 |
| £100,000 - £500 | Each additional £10,000 (or part thereof) add £75. | |
A £80 application fee is also payable in every estate.
Our fees are based principally on time-costing and complexity and we will be happy to provide estimates depending on the circumstances of each particular case.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
