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SJP Client bereavement

At this difficult time, we understand things can feel overwhelming. To help where we can, we want to make practical matters as straightforward as possible.

Our guide explains the administration steps you will need to take in the coming days and weeks.

#1 Registering the death

The Gov.UK website has a step-by-step process of how to register a death. We recommend reading through this as soon as you can.

In return, the registrar will provide you with the following:

  • A death certificate
  • A certificate for burial or cremation

It’s really helpful to get extra copies of the death certificate as many organisations will need to see an original copy (there may be a fee for this)

#2 Telling SJP

Your St. James’s Place Partner, or the Partner of the deceased, is there to help you at this time. They can help with any products held with us, or with any immediate questions you may have. We recommend you inform them of your loss as soon as possible.

Should you wish to contact us directly, we can inform them for you.

How to get in touch:

  • Your St. James’s Place Partner.
    - You should have their details on any correspondence you or the deceased had from them.
    - If you do not have their contact details, you can use the options below.
  • Visit the Death Notification Service Portal*.
  • Call our Administration Centre on 0800 027 1031 (lines are open 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday).
  • If calling from outside the UK, please call our Administration Centre on +44 1268 443931.
  • Write to us or complete the Bereavement Notification Form and send to:

    St. James's Place,
    Administration Centre,
    PO Box 9034,
    Chelmsford,
    CM99 2XA.

*The Death Notification Service Portal is a service provided by Equiniti and will allow you to notify other Financial organisations at the same time.

You will be asked if you have registered the death (#1). This will help towards determining whether you need to apply for a Grant of Probate, Letters of Administration, or a Certificate of Confirmation. (more information in #8?)

If we need to see any of these documents, we will write to you to explain what happens next.

#3 Managing the estate

Estate administration is the process of sorting out a person’s legal and tax affairs after they have passed away. This is often known as Probate.

Probate includes everything from bank accounts, property, investments, personal possessions, even outstanding debts – their estate. This can then be distributed, as per the direction left in the deceased’s Will or following the rules of intestacy.

#4 SJP investments with surviving owners or trustees

Where an investment has surviving owners or Trustees, we will ask to see a letter of authority. This is because we cannot share or disclose information on the investment, without permission (authority) from the surviving owner or Trustee.

You may also need to apply to appoint ‘personal representatives’ to administer the Estate of the deceased. For St. James’s Place, this is needed where the value of investments held with St. James’s Place is more than £50,000.

#5 Additional points to be aware of

If the deceased held shares in St. James’s Place (as opposed to holding investments with us), these shares are administered by Computershare and you will need to contact them directly to inform them of the death. You can find details here.

You can also find lots of helpful information on what to do when someone passes away using the Government’s website.

SJP Approved 04/04/2025