What is probate?
Probate is the process of proving a Will, collecting the assets from an estate and distributing them in accordance with the deceased’s wishes. Where a will does not exist it is necessary to apply for Letters of Administration, which follows the same process as obtaining Probate, but the estate is distributed in accordance with the Intestacy Rules.
An experienced member of our team will deal with all aspects of the administration of an estate on your behalf, from ascertaining the assets and liabilities in the estate, applying for the Grant, accounting to HM Revenue and Customs for any tax payable, preparing proper estate accounts and distributing the estate in accordance with the provisions of the Will (if there is one).
Although it possible to deal with this process without instructing a solicitor, experienced practitioners such as ourselves can avoid the potential pitfalls and save you time and money in the long term. We can also guide you through the process and remove some of the stresses at a very difficult time.
Probate generally involves four main steps:
1. Gathering the information in relation to the estate
2. Preparing a tax return and paying the Inheritance Tax (if required)
3. Submitting a Legal Statement to the Probate Registry to obtain the Grant of Probate/Letters of Administration
4. Encashing the assets and distributing the estate to the beneficiaries
Our experts
Catherine White qualified in a solicitor in 2006 after studying for her Degree in Law and German at Keele University (with a year at the University of Frankfurt) and LPC at the University of Sheffield. Since then, she has gone on to specialise in all areas of non-contentious law including residential conveyancing, and private client work including wills, probate, lasting powers of attorney, court of protections applications and advising clients on asset transfer and protection of assets.
Experienced Team
Together, our expert Solicitors have more than 20 years’ experience in managing complex probate cases. They understand how daunting a task it can be to deal with legal matters in times of grief and stress. That is why they strive to make this process as smooth and straightforward as possible, while providing exceptional customer service throughout.
