Probate Articles

What is probate? When is probate not needed? What is an executor? What if there is no will? Can I get probate myself? How do I get probate? How much does probate cost? How do I deal with inheritance tax? How do I value an estate? Why is it important to value an estate correctly? How Read more [...]

When a person dies, the first question to ask is, did they leave a last will and testament? If they did, the next question is, who did they name as executor? The executor (or executors - there can be more than one) will then be responsible for applying to the Probate Registry for a Grant of Representation, Read more [...]

When someone dies they may or may not have left a will. In the case of someone who dies having written a properly named will with a named executor or executors, then if you are the executor you need to consider whether you need to get probate. If you do, you’ll first need a Grant of Representation. Read more [...]

In England and Wales, the correct name for the Probate Court is the Probate Registry. The Principal Probate Registry is in London, there are 11 District Probate Registries and finally a further 18 Probate Sub-Registries at local level. The Probate Registries are part of the Government’s Probate Service Read more [...]

Grant of probate, or grant of representation as it’s properly called in legal terms in England and Wales, is the legal authority given by the Probate Registry to the executor of a will. The grant of representation allows the executor of a deceased person’s estate to perform a range of administrative Read more [...]

The probate process in England and Wales is the administrative pathway that you need to follow when someone dies. It allows the deceased person’s next of kin to access bank accounts, deal with utility companies and perform other essential tasks. If the deceased has left a will naming an executor Read more [...]

When someone dies and has left a valid will, the will should include the name of an executor, often but not always a close family member. The role can also be taken on by a solicitor or a suitably qualified member of staff at a bank or building society. The executor must be over 18 and they can be named Read more [...]

Probate Law is the set of legal regulations that govern who can deal with the financial and administrative affairs of a person who has died. When the deceased has left a will which names an executor, it is that person who is responsible for obtaining probate. They must apply to the Probate Registry for Read more [...]