Helping with Estate Administration

Estate Administration – part of which is ‘Probate’ – is the name given to the handling of the finances, assets and debts when someone has died.

You may not feel like taking on the job of looking after a loved one’s estate after their death, we can help simplify the situation and relieve you of the worry and stress.

If you are appointed as an Executor of a Will, provided you have not already started work on the administration of the estate you can renounce the role of an Executor and we can draft the Deed of Renunciation for you to renounce your role. If you do not wish to renounce your role as an Executor you can get help from our team.

Our Probate Team is led by Partner and Solicitor Bryony Wilmshurst who prides herself on giving a friendly, efficient yet speedy and professional service to help clients during this distressing time in their lives.

Where you are appointed as an Executor it may be necessary to apply for Probate of the Will, Probate is the official proving of the Will which then enables the Executor to administer the estate and collect in the assets before distributing them in accordance with the terms of the Will.

If there is no Will you may be administering the estate as the deceased’s beneficiary under the Rules of Intestacy, these are statutory rules which set out who benefits from a deceased’s estate on their death. It may be necessary to apply for Letters of Administration.

The process is very similar to the application for a Grant of Probate. Once Letters of Administration have been granted it will allow the Personal Representative to administer the estate in accordance with the Rules of Intestacy.

Before applying for the Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration it will be necessary to complete an Inheritance Tax account, which, depending upon the value of the estate, will either be submitted to HM Revenue & Customs or Probate Registry as part of the application for the Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration.

As well as dealing with the application for Probate or Letters of Administration, Inheritance Tax matters and administering estates we also deal with property matters and Deeds of Variation/Family arrangements which may save thousands of pounds in Inheritance Tax.

Please do not hesitate to contact us for more information on 01376 567275.

DOWNLOAD OUR PROBATE GUIDE

Contact your local Wills and Probate solicitors

Click to find out more about our Wills and Probate solicitors in Braintree, Brighton, Chelmsford, Croydon, Hornchurch, Solihull and Wickford.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Making Your Will

To get started on writing your will, please click here to download our Will form,  then print it out and complete it before sending it to us.

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November Free Wills

Cunningtons support the Will Aid charity every November by offering to help with free simple wills.

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Wills & Probate Partner

Meet Bryony Wilmshurst, Partner in charge of our Wills and Probate department.

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