Probate & Estate Administration - Clear, and Practical Advice.
When someone close to you dies, dealing with their estate can feel overwhelming. As well as coping with your loss, you may find yourself responsible for legal and financial matters you have never had to deal with before.
Our probate solicitors provide clear, practical advice to help you understand your responsibilities and guide you through the administration process, whether you need support with a specific stage or the entire estate.
Every estate is different. The steps involved will depend on the assets owned, whether there is a valid Will and any inheritance tax requirements.
Do I Need a Grant of Probate?
A Grant of Probate (or Letters of Administration) where there is no valid Will) gives legal authority to deal with a person’s estate.
Not every estate requires a Grant. It may not be needed where:
- Assets are jointly owned and pass automatically to another person.
- The estate is relatively small.
- Certain pensions or insurance policies pay directly to beneficiaries.
We can advise whether a Grant is required and, where necessary, prepare and submit the application on your behalf.
Our Approach
Administering an estate involves important legal and financial responsibilities. Executors and Administrators have duties to beneficiaries, creditors and HM Revenue & Customs, and mistakes can sometimes cause delays or personal liability.
We provide clear advice, explain the process in straightforward language and tailor our support to your needs – whether you need help with one part of the process or the complete administration of an estate.
We tailor our service to your needs and will make the process as straightforward as possible, taking on the legal and administrative burden so you can focus on what matters most.
Contact our expert solicitors today via the Contact Form below.
Frequently Asked Questions
The timescale depends on the complexity of the estate, inheritance tax requirements and how quickly assets can be collected and distributed.
There is no legal requirement to instruct a solicitor, but professional advice can be helpful where an estate is complex, tax issues arise or you are unsure about the process.
If someone dies without a valid Will, their estate is dealt with under the intestacy rules. We can advise on who is entitled to administer the estate and who may inherit.
Areas of expertise
We can provide as much or as little support as you need. Areas of expertise include:
- Advising Executors and Administrators on their responsibilities.
- Applying for Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration
- Preparing Probate documentatio
- Advising on inheritance tax and HMRC requirements.
- Collecting and distributing estate assets.
- Dealing with banks, financial institutions and other organisations.
- Supporting you where complications arise.
We are also experienced in dealing with more complex estates involving property, business assets, trusts, farming estates and inheritance tax issues.
