Dealing with somebody’s affairs after they have passed away
Applying for probate gives you the legal right to deal with someone’s property, money and possessions (their estate) when they pass away.
In England and Wales, there are two types of grants which give you this legal right:
- grant of probate – if the person left a will
- grant of letters of administration – if the person did not leave a will
Both these documents are often referred to as grants of representation. In both circumstances, the application process is the same.
Using a Solicitor
We can help you apply for probate by:
- making the process easier
- making sure you do not get penalties if you submit the wrong information
Applying for probate is time consuming and can be frustrating.
Our specialist legal professionals can guide you through the stages of applying for probate. For example, they can:
- tell you if you need to apply for probate
- value the estate
- submit inheritance tax forms to HMRC
- apply for a grant of representation for you
- collect the assets of the estate
- make sure the estate is distributed accurately
Brewer Wallace are a member of the Law Society’s Wills and Inheritance Quality Scheme (WIQS), which means that we meet the Law Society’s high standards for wills and probate services, and comply with the WIQS Client Charter.
Please see details of our costs, or call us on 01482 221130 or 01964 537856 to obtain a free, no obligation, quote
Probate Costs Information
Stages of Work Involved for an Uncontested Probate Application”
We can help you through what is a stressful and upsetting time, by obtaining the Grant of Probate on your behalf.
Once we have provided you with a dedicated and experienced probate lawyer, the main stages of work involved in an uncontested Probate application will be :
- Identify the legally appointed executors or administrators and beneficiaries
- Accurately identify the type of Probate application you will require
- Obtain the relevant documents required to make the application
- Complete the Probate Application and the relevant HMRC forms
- Draft a legal oath for you to swear
- Make the application to the Probate Court on your behalf
- Obtain the Probate and securely send two copies to you
Every case will be different, but on average we would estimate that :
- Obtaining valuations of property and assets will typically take approximately 3 weeks, then
- Obtaining the Grant of Probate usually takes around 3 weeks
It is important to note that the above timescales assume that any others who may be involved in the process (for example banks and all beneficiaries) fully cooperate with us in a timely manner. Delays on their part will have a knock on effect to the total time taken to complete the process.
Who Will Do the Work for Me ?
Our team of specialist probate lawyers has years of experience in dealing with probate disputes. Two of our Directors head up the probate teams at their respective offices, who have between 27 and 41 years experience in this area.
Our solicitors and Legal Executives who undertake this work have experience in all aspects of probate law and we dedicate ourselves to ensuring our knowledge stays up to date, in order to give you the best service possible. They have between 13 and 31 years of experience in the area. We always make sure that junior solicitors and members of staff are supported and supervised appropriately to ensure that the quality of advice is not affected, regardless of who is working on your case.
We also employ a team of around 4 litigation assistants who do much of the day to day work on cases. Although they are not legally qualified, they have between 2 and 45 years experience, have received all relevant training within our firm and work under the direct supervision of a solicitor or Legal Executive with at least 5 years post qualification experience
You can find out more about our price information here .