Losing someone is hard enough. We’ll take the weight of probate off your shoulders.
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Losing someone is hard enough without a mountain of legal paperwork to deal with. Probate – the process of sorting out a loved one’s estate – can feel stressful and complicated at an already difficult time. Our expert probate solicitors are here to take that weight off your shoulders, handling it quickly and efficiently, with a personal and understanding approach.
Every probate is different, but the process follows the same path. Our probate solicitors, Chris Strogen and Judith Chesters, understand how emotional this time can be, and combine calm, expert legal advice with real empathy for your situation.
If you’ve been named as an executor, it can feel like a huge responsibility. You don’t have to shoulder it by yourself. You can ask us to handle the legal side of probate for you while you stay in overall charge as executor. We take care of the paperwork, the tax and the process, and keep you informed on timescales throughout, so you always know what’s happening.
We help executors and families with estates of every size, from the straightforward to the complex, including estates that involve trusts. We can also step in where there’s an inheritance dispute. Whatever the circumstances, we give calm, unflappable advice and work to get the estate distributed as quickly as possible.
Probate usually follows these steps:
Check for a will – it may be with important papers, at a bank, or held by a solicitor. If there’s a will, the executors apply for a grant of probate. If there isn’t, family members can apply for letters of administration.
Value the estate – so any inheritance tax due can be worked out.
Deal with inheritance tax – arrange payment of any tax due before the probate application.
Apply for probate – complete and submit the probate and inheritance tax forms.
Administer the estate – once probate is granted, pay any remaining tax and debts, collect in the assets (such as selling a property or investments), and distribute the estate under the will, or under the intestacy rules if there’s no will.
It varies with the size and complexity of the estate. A straightforward estate can take a few months; a complex one, or one involving a dispute, can take longer. We’ll give you a realistic timescale at the start and keep you updated throughout.
Probate can be daunting if it isn’t something you do every day. As an executor, you can be held personally liable for getting things wrong – paying too little tax, missing a debt, or distributing the estate incorrectly – and you may face criticism from beneficiaries who don’t understand the timescales or the legal complexities. An expert probate solicitor protects you from all of that. We simplify the complex into clear, plain-English advice, and make sure the estate is handled correctly, tax-efficiently and as stress-free as possible.
If you’ve just lost someone and don’t know where to begin, that’s completely understandable. Get in touch whenever you’re ready, and we’ll gently talk you through what needs to happen and what we can take off your hands.
Chris Strogen and Judith Chesters handle estates of every size.
expert advice delivered with real care at a difficult time.
we handle the legal side, so you don’t have to.
everyone you deal with has a personal stake in getting it right.
our fees are published online.
You’ll work with a named specialist from start to finish. Chris Strogen and Judith Chesters lead our probate work, and you’ll have your solicitor’s direct contact details – so you can always reach the person handling the estate.
Dealing with probate after losing someone is the last thing you need on your plate. We’ll handle the legal side with care and keep it as straightforward as possible, so you can focus on what matters. There’s no pressure and no obligation.
Probate is the legal right to deal with someone’s estate after they die. If they left a will, the executors apply for a grant of probate; if they didn’t, family members apply for letters of administration.
It depends on the size and complexity of the estate. A straightforward estate often takes a few months, while a complex one, or one involving a dispute, can take longer. We’ll give you a realistic timescale from the outset and keep you informed as it progresses.
You check for a will, value the estate, deal with any inheritance tax, then complete and submit the probate and inheritance tax forms. We can handle all of this for you.
The executors pay any remaining inheritance tax and debts, collect in the assets (such as selling a property, shares or investments), then distribute the estate under the will, or under the intestacy rules if there’s no will.
Not always. If there’s no property, or the property and bank accounts were jointly held and pass automatically to the surviving owner, probate may not be needed. Banks will also sometimes release small amounts without it, though the threshold varies between banks.
The executor is the person named in the will to carry out the deceased’s wishes – applying for probate, settling tax and debts, and distributing the estate. As executor, you can ask a probate solicitor to handle the legal work for you.
A deed of variation lets the beneficiaries change how an estate is shared out after someone dies, usually within two years of the death. It’s sometimes used to reduce inheritance tax, or to provide for someone who wasn’t included.
Costs depend on the size and complexity of the estate. Even for a simple estate, expert advice often saves money by making sure no more inheritance tax is paid than necessary, and that the executors aren’t left personally liable. Our fees are published online.
Yes. We can deal with probate by phone, email and video wherever you are, and much of the process is now handled online.
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Email us at info@evolvefamilylaw.co.uk
