Probate Services Welwyn Garden City Posted by Probate Bureau , 16/04/2019

Probate Services Welwyn Garden City

Probate can be a complex legal process. A family member or friend passes and first you deal with the shock, then the grief, then you’ll more than likely find yourself with an awful lot of paperwork. Working your way through the probate process can be lengthy and sometimes stressful, especially if you have to deal with an estate without a will.

Here at The Probate Bureau, we can offer our expert probate services throughout Welwyn Garden City. We understand how hard it is to deal with both the passing of a loved one and the probate process, that’s why we aim to shoulder the whole burden of winding up an estate in the most empathetic way. We’ll provide you with the best service at a very fair and reasonable fixed fee price, as it is our goal to save families money. So, if you’re in need of some help, be sure to give us a call on 0808 256 2366.

What is Probate?

When someone sadly passes and leaves behind property, money and possessions, it will need to be sorted who gets what. If the deceased leaves a will and has chosen someone as an executor, they will need to get what is known as a ‘grant of probate’. Though, if the deceased never wrote a will, their possessions will be processed by ‘the rules of intestacy’. Also, if a will is not legally valid or correct, their possessions will be shared out by these same rules.

If you find yourself responsible for executing someone’s will, you will have to follow a set of specific rules that set out how you should notify the authorities and distribute their estate.

How Can I Find a Will?

Usually the deceased will have let either you, a relative or a friend know exactly where they’re stored their will. Once you have obtained their will, it is also a good idea to check for any codicils or letter of wishes. A codicil is a legally binding document that the deceased may have written to make additions or changes to their original will, and a letter of wishes is a document that the deceased may have written to explain certain things in their will, or what kind of funeral they want to have.

When preparing for the probate process, it is a good idea to have at least six copies prepared of the following documents:

• The Will
• Birth Certificate
• Death Certificate
• The codicils, if there are any
• Marriage or civil partnership certificates, if the person was married

How Will an Executor be Chosen?

In most cases, the executor of an estate will be chosen by the deceased and named in the will. This will usually be a close friend or family member, or a legal professional such as a solicitor. Though, if you do find that the deceased never wrote a will and their estate is subject to intestacy rules, the estate will have to be administered by the next of kin.

If needed, you can have more than one executor. They will be named in the will as a joint executor and can help share the workload throughout the probate process and help with the decision making. Anyone named as a joint executor will have to work collaboratively with the other executors to ensure that the probate process is managed effectively.

Can I Decline to be an Executor?

If you find that you have been named as the executor of someone’s will, you will have to choose whether you’ll settle the estate yourself, or request for a professional to settle the estate on your behalf. Though, you can choose to decline to be the executor if you find that you don’t have the time or you’re too unwell. In this case, you will have to sign a Renunciation which will essentially resign you from the position. Resigning will not affect any of the entitlements you’ll have as a beneficiary.

Why Choose to Work With a Probate Specialist?

Sometimes, you may not feel comfortable enough to take on the probate process, especially if the estate is complicated or there are doubts over the validity of the will. In this situation, it can be a good idea to use a probate specialist. Other times where it may be a good idea to choose a probate specialist can be:

• When the value of the estate is more than that of the Inheritance Tax threshold and the estate is still earning a regular income where there are complicated taxes due.
• When the deceased passed away without writing a will.
• When the deceased has dependants, who were deliberately left out of the will when it was written, who may want to file a claim on the estate.
• When the estate is found to be bankrupt.
• When the deceased has owned property or assets abroad.
• When the deceased has lived outside the UK for tax purposes.

Why choose the Probate Bureau's Probate Services in Welwyn Garden City?

Here at the Probate Bureau, we will be able to offer you a range of fair and reasonable, fixed-fee probate services in Welwyn Garden City. Whether you need to administer probate, write a will or sort our finance, we’ll be more than happy to help.

We understand that sometime, you may prefer to handle to probate yourself, but we do suggest that before you do anything else, be sure to take a look at our 7-step checklist. This will help you work your way through the process and highlight some warnings that you could possibly encounter on the way.

If you’re in need of some advice, please feel free to give us a ring on 0808 256 2366. We’ll never treat you like “just another number”. We’ll ensure that your case is treated with the professionalism and care that you need. We’ll be more than happy to tell you exactly what you need to do and more importantly, what you should avoid doing before you do anything else.