Estate administration can be complex, particularly at a time when you are mourning the loss of a loved one. We use the latest tech including a direct HMRC link to do everything for you including finding lost estate and missing beneficiaries.

Meet at a time and place convenient to you
Coming to a Solicitor’s office may seem like a daunting prospect at this time. Let us come to you. Meetings can be carried out in your home, by telephone or on Skype/facetime, meaning less travelling and time off work for you.

Keeping you informed
As well as regular calls and emails with our team, you will receive an update report each month to summarise what work has been carried out in the estate that month.

Our fee guarantee to you
Unlike many firms, we do not charge a fee based on a percentage of the value of the estate. Instead, our fees are assessed by an independent Auditor of Court based on time spent on your file so you can be assured that they are fair and accurate.

Valuing assets and debts
We will contact the various companies to obtain valuations of the assets and liabilities in the estate. Furthermore, our property manager has a wealth of knowledge of the current housing market and can provide us with a valuation of the property. This information will be used to prepare an inventory of the estate for the court application.

Completing all Inheritance Tax forms
If Inheritance Tax is due, it is payable within six months of the date of death. There is a lot of paperwork to complete in this short time, involving a significant amount of specialist legal and tax work. Our team can deal with this quickly and efficiently, as well as offering advice on tax savings by tax planning.

Applying for Confirmation (Probate)
Once the inventory of estate has been prepared, we can prepare the application for Confirmation (known in England as Probate) for submission to Court. Confirmation is the Executor’s authority to deal with the assets in the estate.

Legal Rights
Legal Rights exist where the deceased has a spouse and/or children, regardless of whether there is a Will and the terms of the will. The Executor has a legal obligation to advise any potential claimant of this right, therefore we will advise on what Legal Rights are, who can claim and how they are calculated.

Ingathering Assets and paying debts
We will write to the various companies to transfer or close any accounts and will arrange payment of any outstanding debts from funds ingathered. We can also deal with the sale or transfer of the property.

Accounting and Final distribution
An Executry account will be prepared detailing all assets ingathered and all liabilities paid. We will also calculate the final distribution and make payment of residue in line with the terms of the Will.