My Estate Kit

My Estate Kit: estate planning for families in England and Wales

My Estate Kit is a British company that sells a digital product called The Family Handover Kit, a step-by-step plan for families to manage the administration of an estate after a death. The material is designed specifically for the legal and administrative process in England and Wales, and includes references to organisations such as GOV.UK, Tell Us Once and HMRC. According to the company, the kit has been reviewed by a UK probate professional.

The problem it addresses

The company notes that, although a will states who receives what, it does not explain to the family what to do when someone dies. Between the day of death and the final settlement of the estate, there is a sequence of procedures, deadlines and institutions that applicants must deal with. My Estate Kit describes this situation as a stage in which bank accounts are frozen, bills keep arriving and many entities will not release funds without the grant of probate. The company cites the Exizent Bereavement Index to indicate that 87% of people find sorting out a loved one's affairs stressful and that a third of executors had never performed that role.

The 5-28-6 method

The plan is structured in three stages that follow the real deadlines of the process in England and Wales:

• 5 days: secure the urgent matters. This includes registering the death (legal deadline of 5 days), ordering 10 to 15 death certificates, locating the will, appointing the executor and arranging the funeral.
• 28 days: notify the right people and institutions in the right order. Tell Us Once covers public administration within a 28-day window; the plan continues with banks, mortgages, insurers, utilities and private pensions, and includes a register of accounts and ready-to-send letters.
• 6 months: settle the estate correctly. This covers probate (a few weeks online, up to 16 weeks on paper), the valuation, Inheritance Tax (due by the end of the sixth month), debts, property and distribution, with a list of documents a professional will request.

Contents of the kit

The product combines an action plan with the records that feed it. It includes:

• Step-by-step checklists for each stage of the 5-28-6 method.
• A register of accounts and assets: bank accounts, ISAs, NS&I and Premium Bonds, State Pension and private or workplace pensions, and life insurance.
• A personal record: National Insurance number, NHS number and GP, council tax, utilities and the Tell Us Once and HMRC references.
• A section on where documents are kept: original will, deeds, certificates, keys and passwords.
• A space for the funeral and final wishes, along with ready-to-send notification letters.

The kit is delivered by email to print at home and keep in a folder. The company states that it can be completed in an afternoon and does not require legal knowledge.

Preparation levels and prices

My Estate Kit offers three kit levels, all with a one-off payment, email delivery and a 30-day money-back guarantee:

• The Essential Kit: £29. Includes the Start Here card with the first five actions, the 5-28-6 checklists, ten guided fill-in sheets and an account register.
• The Settled Family Pack: £94, with a 50% discount that brings it to £47. Adds the Homeowner's Pack (deeds, mortgage, Land Registry DJP/AP1), the Will Safeguard (location of the will, executor and expression of wishes regarding pension and life insurance) and 12 ready-to-send notification letters, plus a second copy for the partner. The company highlights it as the most chosen by families with a home they own.
• The Complete Peace-of-Mind Pack: mentioned in customer testimonials, but its features and price are not detailed in the material analysed.

Ratings and trust

The site shows an average score of 4.9 out of 5 based on 318 reviews, with 92% of ratings being 5 stars. The company states that more than 1,200 families have used the kit. The testimonials come from users in England and Wales, and include both individual buyers and a retired probate professional with 35 years of experience who endorses the product.

Coverage and scope

The kit is designed exclusively for the administrative process in England and Wales. The company does not indicate that it covers other jurisdictions in the UK or other countries.