When someone dies it can be a very challenging time for family and friends, and it can be overwhelming trying to work out what needs to be done to finalise their affairs.
Why Hepburn Delaney Probate Solicitors?
Our team of specialist probate solicitors are experts in all aspects of estate administration and can guide you through the process from beginning to end. We combine years of experience handling Probate affairs for clients with a variety of personal situations, including complex financial structures and offshore assets. We work closely with you to help you navigate this process, helping to make this time as easy for you as possible.
Our Probate Services
Applying for Grant of Probate & Letters of Administration
Our Probate solicitors can assist you to obtain a grant of representation. This includes first valuing the deceased’s estate and completing an inheritance tax return. We can then arrange for this to be paid before filing an application for Grant of Probate on your behalf.
Applying for Letters of Administration
Our team can also help you if there is no will, or if the will is invalid or lacks executors by helping you to apply for a letter of administration. This will give an administrator the authority to then distribute assets.
Resealing a Probate
If a Probate needs to be enacted in a foreign jurisdiction, for example if the deceased had a property in a foreign country, the Probate must be resealed in the relevant jurisdiction. Our solicitors can help you to handle the administrative processes, including communicating with the relevant foreign and domestic authorities to ensure the process runs as smoothly as possible, so you have one less thing to worry about.
Handling International Estates
Aside from resealing a grant, international assets come with their own complexities. The different tax and inheritance laws in other countries can make it more complicated to value the assets and calculate the amount of inheritance tax due. Our specialist probate solicitors work together with our Inheritance & Wealth team to combine years of experience handling assets overseas and can navigate foreign tax and inheritance laws for you.
Advising Executors
Once you have gained Grant of Probate, you do not have to face the responsibilities of being an Executor alone. Our team can continue to support and guide you in this, helping you to ensure all aspects of the Will are respected and fulfilled, including dividing up assets.
Contact Our Probate Solicitors
To get in touch with our Later Life Planning Team, please:
Call us on 01442 218090
Send an email to info@hepburndelaney.co.uk
Probate FAQ's
What is Probate?
A Grant of Probate (or Letters of Administration in some situations) is a court sealed document that gives the person named on it the legal authority to deal with the assets of the person who has died.
When is Probate required?
Probate is required when a deceased person’s estate requires legal authority to manage, usually when they owned their assets in their sole name such as property, savings or investments. However, if the person’s assets were only in savings or their assets were jointly owned, you may not need Probate.
How long does Probate take?
Administering an estate can be a lengthy process as there are often a lot of different parties involved in the process, including banks and other financial institutions, the DWP, HMRC, and the Probate Registry. Even a very straightforward estate can often take around a year to administer and if there are any complicating factors it can take several years to finalise the estate completely.
How much does an estate have to be worth to go to Probate?
Typically, an estate will require Probate if it is valued above £5,000. To estimate an estate’s full value, the person’s assets like property, savings, investments and any debts must be calculated.
How does Probate work?
The first stage of the estate process is to identify all the assets and liabilities of the person who has died and have them valued. The executors must then complete an inheritance tax return and arrange to pay any inheritance tax due on the estate. The application for the Grant of Probate can then be filed with the Probate Registry who will issue the Grant. Once the Grant is obtained the executors can collect in all the assets and distribute the estate to the beneficiaries.
How much does a Probate solicitor cost?
At Hepburn Delaney, we only charge for the time taken to administer an estate, and we do not base our fees on the value of the estate. Managing the estate of a loved one is a very personal process and every estate is individual. To help you understand the costs involved, we have provided a guide to our Probate pricing for a simple estate. Take a look at our Probate Pricing document for more information.
We tailor each case to you and we can undertake as much or as little of the work as you would like us to. The prices shown are therefore only intended to provide an estimated guideline and you should contact us directly to discuss your specific requirements if you would like assistance with an estate matter. We always recommend arranging a meeting with Sumaiya Smyth, our specialist inheritance solicitor, to discuss the estate. She can provide you with a detailed estimate of costs and a meeting also provides an opportunity to learn more about us.
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