Probate

Probate

Probate or ‘estate administration’ is the process of sorting out a person’s property and finances after death and distributing the estate to the proper heirs, whether under the terms of a Will or, if there is no Will, according to the legal rules of intestacy.

At Woodstock Solicitors, we appreciate that you may want to deal with some or all of the probate process yourself or you may prefer us to handle everything on your behalf, from start to finish. Whatever your requirements, we can assist.

Our range of probate services is described below and we are always willing to ‘mix and match’ any of these services for you.

Call or email us for to arrange a free, no-obligation initial meeting and we can talk through your options.

Pay-as-you-go probate – legal support for executors

Our pay-as-you-go probate service is ideal for you if you wish to deal with most of the estate administration yourself, but would like access to our legal expertise as and when you need it.

You may find that you are stuck on only one particular point of the estate administration and just need advice on how to deal with that one matter or you may wish to consult us from time-to-time to check that you are dealing with the estate correctly.

We will only charge for the time that we spend advising you and you can agree a budget at the outset.

Full service probate – capped fees

Woodstock Solicitors can offer expert guidance and advice at every stage of the administration.

Our full probate service is suitable for any estate and includes all steps from making initial enquiries through to the final distribution of the estate. At the end of the administration we provide comprehensive estate accounts, showing how every penny of the estate has been dealt with.

• We charge for full service probate on the basis of time spent, subject to an agreed cap
• We only charge for the work that has been done; and
• You have the comfort of knowing from the outset that the fees will never exceed the agreed cap, irrespective of the time spent.

See our price list for more information.

Fixed-fee grant only service for smaller estates

The grant of representation (sometimes referred to as a ‘grant of probate’ or, if there is no Will, a ‘grant of letters of administration’) is the document issued by the Court to the executors to unlock the assets of the estate. Banks or other financial institutions typically require sight of the grant before releasing funds in the estate.

If you have collected the necessary information together but are unsure how to complete the grant application, including HMRC’s ‘Return of Estate Information (IHT 205)’, we can do this for you as a fixed fee service.

Once we have obtained the grant on your behalf, you can deal with the remainder of the administration yourself, or switch to our Pay-As-You-Go support service or to our full service probate at any time, without any duplication of fees.

If you are not sure where to start, give us a call and book your free initial meeting with one of our expert probate solicitors.