HOW CAN WE HELP? YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

WHY USE OUR LAWYERS TO SORT EVERYTHING OUT

Often there are all sorts of other matters going on following the death of a loved one, not least coming to terms with the death and going through the bereavement process. It often boils down to whether you and your family want to save some legal costs but expose yourself to potential stress, hassle and time that needs to be spent that can go with sorting out the administration of a loved one’s estate. You may find the whole process too overwhelming, complicated and upsetting and need help. If you would like us to deal with the whole process quickly, easily with no hassle and at low cost then please contact us. We can sort everything out for you from obtaining a Grant of Probate to administering the estate, giving you peace of mind knowing all the estate administration work is done for you both quickly, correctly and incurring relatively low legal costs.

WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE IS NO WILL The law relating to what happens to the distribution of an estate where there is no will is complicated.  This page explains how the estate is distributed.

WHAT IS A GRANT OF PROBATE? The phrase “Probate” is a general term that is often used to describe obtaining a “Grant of Representation”. This page explains in detail the different types of Probate that are needed.

DO I NEED A GRANT OF PROBATE? If the value of the net estate is over £5,000 (excluding jointly owned assets or policies written into trust) then a Grant of Probate will often be needed. Use this page to decide if you need a Grant of Probate.

HOW TO GET A GRANT OF PROBATE The Grant of Probate provides legal authority to the Personal Representatives to administer and distribute the deceased’s estate. The court require certain documents to administer the Grant of Probate.

WHO HAS THE RIGHT TO OBTAIN A GRANT OF PROBATE? The person who has the responsibility for the administration and general winding up of the deceased’s estate, is called the deceased’s Personal Representative. In a will they are called Executors. If there is no will they are called Administrators. Before anything is done it is important to identify and make sure that the right person deals with the administration of the estate .

WHEN SHOULD I INSTRUCT SOLICITORS TO OBTAIN A GRANT OF PROBATE? In our opinion it is usually best to seek legal advice and delegate the work out to professionals in the certain circumstances when obtaining a Grant of Probate. Please use this page for more information.

WHAT RESPONSIBILITIES DO EXECUTORS HAVE? Executors have various responsibilities when dealing with the administration of an estate. Please see this page for more information.

HOW TO AVOID THE ADMINISTRATION OF AN ESTATE WITH A WILL If you are the deceased’s next of kin and believe that you have the legal responsibility to deal with the administration of a deceased’s estate then you may find that you no longer wish to personally act in relation to the administration of the estate.  To find out the procedure, please visit this page.

HOW TO AVOID THE ADMINISTRATION OF AN ESTATE WITH NO WILL If you are the deceased’s next of kin and believe that you have the legal responsibility to deal with the administration of a deceased’s estate then you may find that you no longer wish to personally act in relation to the administration of the estate. For more information, use this page.

I NEED TO CHANGE THE DISTRIBUTION OF AN ESTATE There are various reasons why beneficiaries might want to alter and change the distribution of a deceased’s estate. This page lists the procedure and further information.

I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT INHERITANCE TAX Inheritance Tax (IHT) is covered by the Inheritance Tax Act 1984. It is effectively a tax payable on peoples’ estates when they die. To find out if you will need to pay IHT on an estate,  visit this page.

I WANT TO MAKE A CLAIM AGAINST AN ESTATE If you make a will you can give your estate away in whatever way you think fit. There is an exception to this. The Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 provides protection and allows a spouse, children and other dependants to make a claim for dependency in the event of not being included in the will.

WHAT IS AN INSOLVENT ESTATE? The Personal Representatives have a duty to pay the debts of the estate and must do so with due diligence. An estate is insolvent if there are not enough assets to pay all of the debts.

HOW WE CAN HELP

We provide all the usual services of a Solicitors firm together with some specially designed services that we believe can help you if you are going it alone, including providing competitive fixed fees with no hidden extras.