Probate and Contentious Probate

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Expert Probate Lawyers and Solicitors

Our team of probate lawyers have over 20 years of extensive experience in dealing with complex estate matters.

Our Wills and Probate team have specialist knowledge in handling all aspects of estate administration and provide both a professional and personal service. We offer compassionate and sympathetic advice to ensure that the process from start to finish is dealt with in the most efficient manner possible. Our aim is to lift the burden of Probate from our client in a cost-effective manner.

What is probate?

Probate is the name given to the process whereby the personal representatives of the deceased’s estate gain a legal right to deal with the deceased’s assets and property as if it were their own. This will either be carried out in accordance to a Will or the Intestacy rules (where no Will has been left).

What is the process for probate?

Prior to obtaining a grant of probate, a calculation of the Inheritance Tax  must be paid or agreed with HMRC. Depending on the size and complexity of the estate, often Solicitors firms will need to involve accountants in calculating the tax owed.

Our Lawyers and Solicitors are highly experienced in dealing with all matters related to Inheritance Tax and are able to advise you on key strategies to reduce the estates inheritance tax bill to ensure that you are paying no more than necessary. Often, an application will need to be made to the Probate Registry, however, this is dependant largely on whether an individual had a valid Will at the time of death.

Call our team today on 0208 634 5850 for help with processing probate.

Types of grants that can be obtained

At present, there are three different types of grants that can be obtained. These include:

The Grant of Probate

This is required in a majority of circumstances where the estate is valued at greater than £5000.00 and the person applying for the grant has been named as an executor in a valid Will.

The Grant of Letters of Administration

This document is required if the person died intestate (without making a Will or the Will is invalid)

The Grant of Letters of Administration which has a Will Annexed

This application is usually made when there is a problem with regards to the appointment of the executors in the Will. There are several reasons why this type of grant may be needed, such as:

• The Will was validly written but the deceased did not appoint an executor therein;
• The Will may not have been correctly drafted in respect of the appointment of an executor;
• The executor may have predeceased the settlor of the Will or renounced themselves from their role as executor;

Upon Probate being granted, the executor(s) will be able to distribute the estate in accordance with the terms of the Will.  The task of an executor does range in complexity depending on the size of the estate and can be somewhat of a full-time and demanding job.

Where the deceased did not make a Will then the deceased’s Personal Representatives (Administrators) will need to follow the intestacy rules when distributing the estate.

Why choose Ansham White to deal with your probate matter?

At Ansham White Solicitors, we know that no two cases are the same. An individual’s personal circumstances will greatly dictate the procedure for obtaining a grant and whether or not they can act as executor or need professional help. Therefore, we will work alongside you and tailor our advice to fit your needs. This will ensure that we provide you with the most satisfactory outcome possible.

Please call us today on 0208 634 5850 to arrange an initial fixed fee consultation, our Wills and Probate team will be more than happy to help.

Our team of probate lawyers and solicitors acknowledge that the death of a loved one is always a distressing and emotional time for those involved. Therefore, we closely work alongside our clients to ensure that the process as simply as possible. Our legal experts are able to assist you with all Will and Probate related matters including, obtaining grants of probate, letters of administration, cases of Will disputes, Contested probate and Inheritance claims.