Farra is a death administration assistant for UK families. Get step-by-step guidance for registering a death, applying for probate, notifying banks, and managing bereavement admin. From essential documents to practical checklists, Farra simplifies estate paperwork and funeral-related tasks so you can focus on what matters.
Legal & General applies a threshold of approximately £36,000for investment bonds. Below this amount, probate is generally not required and funds can be released with a death certificate and completed claim form. Above £36,000, a grant of probate or letters of administration is required. Pension accounts bypass probate in all cases. Contact Legal & General's bereavement team on 0370 010 4080 for product-specific guidance.
Legal & General (L&G) is one of the UK's largest insurance and investment groups. As of 2026, the probate threshold for Legal & General investment bonds is approximately £36,000.
The rules differ by product type:
For a cross-institution comparison, see the probate threshold guide for 2026–27.
For all Legal & General products, you will need:
For investment bonds above £36,000, you will also need:
The estate administration checklist will help you manage all required documents across multiple institutions.
Legal & General provides a dedicated bereavement helpline:
Not sure if you need probate?
1 in 3 applications are sent back. In under 2 minutes, we'll tell you whether you need it and what to do next.
The bereavement team will freeze any relevant policies and send instructions for making a claim. Contacting Legal & General is part of the process of notifying financial institutions after a death.
Legal & General does not currently participate in the Death Notification Service (DNS). You must contact Legal & General directly using the details above. As an insurer rather than a bank, Legal & General maintains its own separate bereavement notification process.
Legal & General does not participate in the Direct Payment Scheme (DPS). If inheritance tax is due on the estate, you must arrange a separate payment to HMRC before the grant of probate can be issued. Our guide on probate delays and IHT interest explains how to manage the funding challenge.
For claims below the £36,000 threshold (no probate required), fund release typically takes 4–6 weeksfrom receipt of all documents. For larger estates, add 8–12 weeks to obtain probate, then a further 4–8 weeks for Legal & General to process the claim.
For the full step-by-step timeline, see the complete UK probate guide for 2026.
Legal & General pension death benefits — from workplace pensions, personal pensions, group income protection schemes, and annuities — are held in trust. They fall outside the estate and do not require probate. The pension trustees will follow any nomination of beneficiary form completed by the deceased.
Investment bonds and life policies not written in trust form part of the estate and are subject to the £36,000 threshold. For full details on claiming pension death benefits from any insurer, see our guide to claiming pension death benefits. If you are weighing up DIY administration against using a solicitor, our cost comparison guide will help.
1 in 3 probate applications are sent back.
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