The UK’s Trusted Probate Specialists

Probate Blog

Probate Bank Limits 2022

The most frequently asked question is whether probate is required to close a bank account. Confusion arises because most banks have differing limits as to when they are prepared to close an account without probate. If probate is not required then the bank will require a small estates indemnity which confirms that the person closing…

Read more

The Will of Prince Philip

When someone dies, and probate is issued a will becomes a public document,  after the Court issue a grant of probate. The government maintains a database of all wills which is easily searched online with wills, dating back to 1858. You can search by clicking here.. The situation with Royal Wills is however very different…

Read more

How Much Money Before Probate Is Required ?

The UK’s Trusted Probate Specialists If you are handling the estate of a relative or family friend, a frequestly asked question is how much money is required before probate will be required ? Lets start with what probate means. Probate is simply the legal term given to the process that is followed after someone has…

Read more

How Much Does It Cost To Remove An Executor

The UK’s Trusted Probate Specialists If you are a beneficiary under a will, there is nothing more frustrating than an Executor failing to undertake their task in administering an estate. Typically, we find that the most common grounds for frustration and disappointment are :- delay in administering an estate simply failing to disclose a copy…

Read more

Can A Beneficiary Witness A Will?

Given the current pandemic sadly many people are thinking of making a will, with this there are lots of questions about the validity of wills, in particular who can be a witness ? The starting point is the Law. The rules relating to the formal requirements of wills are contained in the Wills Act 1837,…

Read more

Can An Executor Contest A Will ?

The Executor is the person appointed to administer the estate under the terms of a will, but what happens if the executor is unhappy with the will ? Often when wills are contested the estate administration is often put on hold until the dispute is resolved. If you are an executor and are unhappy with…

Read more

Undue Influence Meaning

Contesting a will is never straightforward, however one of the most worrying cases we handle are those involving undue influence. Typically, undue influence cases arise when a will is suddenly changed with no apparent explanation with an estate often left to someone outside of a family. The onus of proving undue influence always rests upon…

Read more

Probate Court Fees 2019

Probate Court Fees 2019 The Government announced late in 2018, a substantial increase in the Court fees when applying for probate. So what does this actually mean and when will the increase take place ? The present position Currently, there are fixed fees that the Government charge when applying for probate. The fees differ depending…

Read more

Probate Solicitors Near Me

Are you an Executor or family member that’s been told you need probate ? knowing who to turn to is never easy but with our guaranteed fixed fee probate service, we aim to make the whole process simple and straightforward. It might be that you need probate to :- close a bank account sell a…

Read more

Inheritance Tax and Gifts

The UK’s Trusted Probate Specialists Death Duties as Inheritance Tax is frequently called often raises lots of questions, a common issue that arises is the treatment of Gifts. Gifts in a will Gifts that pass between spouses or to charities are exempt from inheritance tax Gifts made during the lifetime of the Deceased Everyone has…

Read more

Do I have to pay Inheritance Tax ?

A frequently asked question when someone dies is whether Inheritance Tax has to be paid ? the answer as the article discusses depends on a number of factors. The Inheritance Tax threshold The basic rate of inheritance tax is 40% above £325,000, this is known as the Nil Rate Band. In April 2018, the government…

Read more

Court Funds Office and Probate

The Court Funds Office is the Government Department that holds funds on behalf of someone, under a Deputyship. If a person dies and has had their affairs managed by the Court Funds Office (CFO ) then there is a specific procedure to be followed to release assets held. Firstly, the CFO will need to be…

Read more

Help Contesting a Will ?

If you have been left out of a will or cut out of a will, what do you do and who can provide you with help ? The short answer is that you immediately need to seek expert legal advice from a lawyer experienced in contesting wills. Knowing where to start is often difficult however…

Read more

Probate Deadlines

A frequently asked question is whether there is a deadline for applying for probate ? In summary the answer very much depends upon the value of the estate. If inheritance tax is payable by the estate, then the rules provide that a full inheritance tax return ( an IHT form 400 ) must be filed…

Read more

Defending A Will

If you are an Executor and are faced with an unhappy family member who has been cut out of a will what do you do ? The will and disclosing a copy The starting point in all cases is of course the will. In our experience a lot of animosity is caused by relatives refusing…

Read more

Probate Costs Calculator

Whilst there are are lots of questions commonly asked about probate, the most common is arguably How Much does it cost ? Assessing the costs of probate is never easy as no one case is the same. There are a number of important factors when determining costs and hopefully this article will help clarify some…

Read more

Shares and Resealing Probate

If the Deceased held shares then you will often notice various paperwork from a company called Computershare. They are a share registrar and administer the share holdings of many UK based PLC companies. So what is the process required to release the shares held by a Deceased person ? ultimately it depends upon the value…

Read more

Can I change a Will ?

A surprisingly asked question, which we answer regularly is whether a will can be changed after probate has been issued ? in short the answer is yes ! however the rules are very strict. In summary there is something called a deed of variation. This is term given to the deed that enables the terms of…

Read more

Probate 2022

Getting started with probate can be confusing, just knowing what to do and how to obtain probate can be difficult. So within this article we have set out the most commonly asked questions, and answers :- What is probate ? Probate is simply the legal term given to the process that has to be followed…

Read more

How To Remove a Caveat

Very often we are contacted by a an executor or Administrator who has applied for probate, only to be informed that a caveat has been issued and as such the probate registry are unable to issue the Grant of probate. If this has happened to you what can be done next ? What is A…

Read more

Contested Wills Court Cases

Contested will cases are on the increase with regular headlines of someone being Cut out of the Will, as a firm that specialise in contesting a will claims, we have proven track record of success in this area of law – you can review some of the many cases we have handled by clicking here.…

Read more

Who Can Witness a Will ?

A commonly asked question is who can be a witness to a will ? The requirements are the will must be witnessed by at least two witnesses, with the following factors adhered to :- the witnesses and the testator must all be present at the same time when the will is signed the witnesses should…

Read more

Interim Death Certificate and Probate

Sometimes after someone has died the death will be reported to the Coroner. Typically, this will arise if the cause of death is unknown, violent or unnatural. If this is the case, the Coroner may well decide to hold an Inquest which would mean that the death cannot be registered until after the Inquest has arisen. The…

Read more

Letter of Administration

After someone has died, and has not left a will, then a legal document has to be obtained that deals with the deceased persons assets. That document is called a Letter of Administration, the full legal term is a Grant of Letters of Administration. Here is what you need to know about a letter of…

Read more

International Probate Lawyers UK

Are you an overseas Executor, Administrator or lawyer requiring help releasing assets in the UK  ? if so we can help. Understanding the legal process in the UK can be complicated if the Deceased was domiciled and living outside the UK prior to their Death. In the UK, after someone has died the legal process…

Read more

How Many People Don’t Have a Will ?

Numerous reports are made each year regarding the number of people that actually make a will. Sadly, the number doesn’t appear to be rising. Currently, only 30% of the population have a will, so why is this ? The most common reason is often that whilst young most people don’t have many assets and therefore don’t feel…

Read more

When is Probate Needed ?

A Grant of Probate is the legal document issued by the Probate Registry to an Executor named in a will. It is this document, that banks and other financial institutions will require after someone has died, to release assets held by the Deceased. But is probate always needed ? A Grant of Probate is not normally required…

Read more

Case Studies In Contesting a will

Contested probate is a very specialist area of law, and choosing the right solicitor is never easy, however to any client thinking of appointing a Solicitor to either  act or defend a claim against an estate, the first question should always be – what is the experience and how many contested probate cases has the Solicitor actually…

Read more

Why Make a Will ?

Establishing the exact number of people without a will is always difficult, however the recent YouGov survey found that 59% of the population didn’t have a will, given this why do people make a will and what are the most important reasons for making a will anyway ? What happens when you don’t make a will…

Read more

DWP Notification after Probate

As a specialist probate firm, we are regularly seeing cases when the DWP give notice that they investigating a deceased persons estate. The DWP will automatically receive a copy of the probate once issued by the probate registry. If means tested benefits have been claimed by the Deceased, it is standard practice for the DWP…

Read more

Aunt has died and left no will

If you are a niece or nephew and your Aunt has died – what happens when there is no will ? The starting point is always to double check that your Aunt has not left a will. You can check with Solicitors, banks, Companies like Certainty or contact will writers. If no will exists then…

Read more

Cost of Probate

Perhaps one of the most frequently asked questions relates to the cost of probate. The traditional view is the probate is expensive with high fees charged by Solicitors with the process taking months to resolve and sort out. Put simply it doesn’t cost a lot and we can obtain probate within 4-6 weeks. Recognising the…

Read more

Probate In 2014 Help

If you are helping with the administration of an estate and have come across the term probate, what does it mean, and when is it required ? and how do you obtain it ? What does probate mean ? When someone dies a legal process has to be followed. This process is known as probate…

Read more

Power of Attorney Solicitors

If you are seeking help deciding upon whether you need a power of attorney – we can help. A Power of attorney is a legal document that enables others to act on your behalf if you lose the capacity to act in regard to either your financial or personal affairs. A power of attorney is most…

Read more

Caveats In Contested Probate

If you are unhappy with a will it is important to immediately seek legal help. In any contested probate claim, it is always important to try and prevent probate being issued, so that appropriate investigations can be undertaken.To do this, something called a Caveat can be issued. This is a fairly straightforward procedure and involves…

Read more

How does Probate Work ?

Probate can at best be confusing so where to start ? what is important is to find out whether you actually need probate. Typically, if the deceased person had assets in excess of £15,000 a grant of probate will be required, which is in essence a legal document issued by the probate court ( called the…

Read more

How long does Probate Take ?

Perhaps the most commonly asked question, is how long does probate take ? there always seems a degree of frustration as to why probate should take so long. The starting point in all cases, is to find a will Sometimes this is very straightforward, whilst in other cases, finding a will can be very difficult…

Read more

Solicitors Charges For Probate

How much will a Solicitor charge for probate ? we are asked this question daily. We charge a simple fixed fee for probate ,we confirm the cost at the start of the case so that you know exactly what the fee will be once probate has been obtained. But how do more traditional solicitors operate and what is…

Read more

Legal Administrator Vacancy at TM Solicitors

Due to continued growth TM Solicitors seeks an enthusiastic team player to undertake a professional administrative role. Principal duties will include dealing with initial telephone queries, and, as well as completing daily administration tasks in support of current fee earners in respect of personal injury and probate. The ideal candidate will have previously worked for…

Read more

What is a Caveat ?

If there is a dispute over a will or an estate, it is important that probate is not issued. One way of preventing probate is to issue what is called a Caveat. This is issued following an application to the probate registry and once in place lasts for a period of some 6 months. After the…

Read more

How much does probate cost on average ?

The costs of obtaining probate do vary considerably depending upon who you ask. Typically, if you want help applying for probate, there are three main providers, banks, wills and probate companies, and Solicitors. Most banks in our experience charge a fixed percentage of the estate typically, 2-4%, which we believe to be unfair, as it…

Read more

Probate Time Limits

We are frequently asked as to whether there is a time limit to apply for probate. The answer varies depending upon a number of factors. The key probate time limits are set out below: Is inheritance tax payable ? If there is an Inheritance Tax liability then the tax return must be filed with the Inland…

Read more

Probate Solicitors

When to use a probate solicitor As a firm specialising in probate, we are often asked whether it is necessary to seek help from a solicitor when applying for probate. Whether to use a solicitor depends upon a number of factors, however as a guide the following points should be considered :- if you need probate urgently…

Read more

Inquest Solicitors and Coroners Court

Understanding the legal process after someone has died unexpectedly can be very difficult. The role of the Coroner If a death arises very suddenly, the Doctor may report the case to someone known as a Coroner.Typically, examples of when a Coroner maybe notified would be if the death arises :- after an accident whilst  abroad due…

Read more

Applying for Probate

Applying for probate varies according to whether the Executor or Administrator appoints a probate solicitor to apply for probate. If a Solicitor is instructed the Executor will be sent two legal documents to sign. The first is called an Oath for Executors. This is a legal document that sets out the basis for the application.…

Read more

Do I Need Probate ?

Do I Need Probate ? whether you need probate typically depends upon the size of the Deceased persons assets and liabilities. If assets exceed £15,000, then a Grant of probate will need to be obtained, other cases when probate will be required are as follows :- to claim monies under a life insurance or under a death…

Read more

What is Probate ?

What is Probate ? Arguably the most common question raised to a probate solicitor is what is Probate  ? and why is it required ? After someone dies a legal process has to be followed to manage a Deceased Persons assets. For example, banks and building Societies need to know who to pay monies to when…

Read more