IHTM09310 - Information sources: calendar of grants

The calendar of grants lists all grants of representation that have been issued in England and Wales. For all deaths on or after 8 November 1998 the calendar of grants is kept on an access database. It gives you information about

• the date of death
• where and when the grant was issued
• whether or not the estate is an ‘excepted estate’ (IHTM06012)
• the net and gross value of an estate (estimated value only in the case of an excepted estate)
• the names and addresses of the personal representatives (IHTM05012)
• the solicitors acting.

There is no equivalent of the calendar of grants in Northern Ireland or Scotland. In Scotland each Sheriff Clerk supplies IHT Edinburgh with a list of Confirmation grants on a weekly basis. These are retained for a period of 1 year. In Scottish testate estates - the Sheriff Clerk attaches a copy of the will to the form C1 when it is forwarded to IHT Edinburgh following the grant of Confirmation. Form C1s for estates that are below the threshold, for which no IHT400 account or file is required and which are not part of the excepted estates sample are not retained.

Similarly in N Ireland the two local probate offices send IHT Belfast a list of grants on a weekly basis and the registry enters the information onto ALF. If you need to check whether a grant has been taken out in N Ireland you should check ALF. If you need a copy of the will you should normally try the solicitors first but if that is not possible then you should telephone the probate registries.