SPECIALIST UK PROBATE SOLICITORS NATIONWIDE
- ESTABLISHED 1989 -
WELCOME
Being an Executor (of a Will*) or an Administrator (when there is no Will) can be a complicated
and time-consuming task, normally needing specialist skills and knowledge.
We can take away all the stress and responsibility away from you and you are safe in the knowledge
that the case is in expert hands and it can't be completed faster or at a lower cost. *We can act for you even if a different Probate Solicitor holds the Will. |
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Not all probate services are the same. We cover the whole of England, Wales And Scotland with fully qualified probate solicitors, all who have the most comprehensive probate liability insurance available, the full support and regulation of The Law Society and all charging an agreed fixed-fee with no hourly charges. |
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- Fast full or part Estate Administrations -
- Local offices, home visits, or online -
- Lowest fixed-fee guarantee -
- No upfront charges -
- Personal direct contact with your
Case Manager Lawyer -. |
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Over 75 Probate Solicitors throughout the UK. Your Probate-Helper Case Manager will have memberships
of AT LEAST TWO of the professional organisations below:
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USEFUL WEB LINKS: Very useful links to other web sites that we add to according to our frequently asked questions (FAQs),
questions asked of our Probate Solicitors and links to our sponsors:
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Any web site you visit will open in a separate browser window, so you can easily return to this page.
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Barclays and Solicitors accused over obscene probate fees.
CLICK HERE to read more...
WHAT IS PROBATE?: Below is a simplified explanation of the reasonably complex process of
probate, again in response to frequently asked questions:
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What Exactly is Probate?
The term 'probate' means the issuing of a legal document called a 'grant of representation' by the Family Division of the High Court in England and Wales authorising one or more people to sort out the past financial affairs and to deal with the estate (the money, property and possessions) left by someone that has died in England and Wales. In Scotland a similar process is called 'Confirmation'.
Who gives Probate?
A division of the High Court called 'The probate registry' issues the 'grant of representation' to the person legally entitled to apply for it (see below).
These are THREE main of grant of representation:
1. PROBATE which is only issued the executor(s) named in the deceased will.
2. LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION (WITH WILL ATTACHED) Issued when there is a will, but there is no executor named, or when the executors are unable to apply for any reason.
3. LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION which is issued when the deceased had not made a will, or any will made proves to be invalid.
Why do I need a grant?
Companies and organisations holding money in the deceased's name need to know who to pay the money to and the grant is proof that the person named in it can collect the money.
The estate left when a person dies passes to the people named in his or her will. If there is no valid will it passes on to his or her legal next of kin. The distribution of the estate to the correct people is the responsibility of the person named on the grant.
Is a grant always necessary?
Sometimes a grant is not needed and you may wish to ask anyone holding the deceased's money whether they will release it without seeing a grant. If they agree they may attach conditions.
Among these are insurance companies and or building societies. You will also not usually need a grant when a house is held in joint names and it is clear that the house automatically becomes the property of the surviving owner.
If you are in doubt on this point you may need to ask a solicitor whether a grant is needed to change the ownership. You will need a grant to transfer or sell a property held only in the deceased's name.
However, if just one organisation requests a grant is obtained, then it is normal for all the other organisations to request sight of it before releasing funds to you.
Am I the right person entitled to a grant?
There are rules which govern who may be given a grant of Probate or Letters of Administration.
If there is a will with named executors they are the first people entitled to a grant of Probate. If there are no executors or the executors are unable or unwilling to apply, the next person entitled to a grant is any person named in the will to whom the deceased gives all his estate, or the remainder after the gifts have been paid.
If there is no will, or the will is found to be invalid, his or her legal next of kin should normally make application for a grant of Letters of Administration. As we are Probate Solicitors feel free to contact us if you would like to check whether you are the legal next of kin. |
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PRIVACY STATEMENT:
Under the Data Protection Act, we have a legal duty to protect any information we collect from you. We use leading technologies and encryption software to safeguard your data, and keep strict security standards to prevent any unauthorised access to it.
Any personal information that you provide to us will only be used for the purpose stated at the time we request it. This information will not be disclosed to a third party.
We may collect information from you when you fill in an online registration form for any of our web site services. We may also collect information you give us over the telephone or in written or other communications. We will NOT make use of your personal information for direct marketing activities, or supply this information to third parties for their direct marketing activities.
We endeavour to ensure that your data is stored securely and to prevent unauthorised access. We have security measures in place to protect your information which we monitor regularly.
Our policy is to comply with the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 and all other legislation which governs the maintenance of privacy in your information. We also require compliance with such legislation by third parties.
Our web site provides a number of links to web sites not operated by us or by companies associated with us. We take no responsibility for the use of any information about you which is collected as a result of your use of these web sites and this privacy policy does not extend to any web site operated by anybody other than us.
End of Privacy Statement. SERVICE OVERVIEW:
Overview of aims: Established in 1989, link<www.probate-helper.co.uk and <LINK1001www.probate-solicitors.com/LINK offers probate help and advice from UK probate solicitors and other specialist probate lawyers all offering probate services from obtaining a grant of probate or letters of administration to a complete estate administration service, All probate solicitors and probate services are offered at a fixed fee, normally fully inclusive. We have probate solicitors and other specialist probate service providers throughout England Wales, Scotland and Spain and will soon be offering the same in northern Ireland. All our probate solicitors work in accordance with a set of probate terms of business, which you recieve at the start of your probate case, to cover all elements of probate services in the locations where we have offices. We believe that a fixed-fee is the fairest and the most cost effective method of charging for this type of legal work and everyone knows the total cost from the start. However, on request we can also charge using traditional time plus percentage of the probate values but these normally work out as more expensive. LINKS TO ALL PAGES: |
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