Probate
When someone dies, unless they owned very little, a grant of probate or letters of administration will be needed. If a person leaves a will, it will appoint executors whose job it is to wind up the estate.
If the person dies intestate (without a will) members of the family or other suitable people take on the job of Administrators. Without the relevant Grant, the executors or Administrators have little or no legal power to deal with the person’s assets.
We have a large, well established probate practice.
We can assist with all aspects of estates including:
Considering the terms of the will
Assessing the value of the estate
Drafting the papers necessary to obtain Probate (where there is a will) or Letters of Administration (where there is no will)
Assessing any Inheritance Tax due and arranging payment from assets
Gathering in the assets
Paying bills
Selling houses, shares and other property as necessary.
Tracing beneficiaries.
Dealing with debtors and creditors.
Paying legacies
Distributing the rest of the estate.
Death is a hard thing to deal with for many people. Most people’s affairs are different, so no two estates are the same. We do our best to guide all those who have a part to play through the legal and practical requirements before a person’s affairs can finally be ‘wound up’.