14 SENIOR LIFESTYLE 18 OCTOBER 2015 Legal Advice, Private Client & Legacies Taking the stress out of probate


form and the executor’s oath. T ese have to be submitted to the probate registry who will, if all is in order, provide you with a grant of probate or letters of administration (if there’s no Will).


Probate — rightly associated with death and taxes — is the process of administering someone’s estate following their death. It’s a subject generally avoided until, aſt er a relative or close friend has died, you have to deal with it having been appointed an executor. One of the fi rst decisions you have to make


as an executor is whether to do the work yourself or employ a professional. It’s certainly possible to take the DIY route and there are plenty of books outlining the process (Which?


publishes a helpful guide, for example). However, undertaking probate needs careful consideration as it can involve many diff erent factors depending on the size and complexity of the estate, the number of benefi ciaries and the inheritance tax liabilities.


What does probate involve? Essentially, probate is a two-stage process. First, the deceased’s assets and liabilities need to be collated before completing the tax


that Stage two involves circulating the


grant to the bank and other asset holders, liquidating the assets, paying off debts and liabilities and then distributing the proceeds among the benefi ciaries.


Should I appoint a solicitor? As an executor, you’ll need to commit a lot of time to this process and keep meticulous records. If it all sounds rather complicated, you don’t like the thought of completing endless forms and you could do without any additional stress at a diffi cult time, you should consider instructing a solicitor to do the job. You can then have confi dence of knowing


If you are, or someone you know is, an executor and you want a thorough and reliable probate service, contact us on: T: 0845 0347344 www.probaters.com


Brain


tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer


the deceased’s aff airs have been dealt with correctly.


A specialist service At Probaters, we’re fully dedicated to probate. Unlike other solicitors, we don’t get involved in anything else apart from the associated property work. While our solicitors have over 60 years’ qualifi ed experience between them, including preparation of Wills, dealing with trusts, litigation and commercial work, we now concentrate exclusively on providing our clients with the most effi cient probate service available. T is is undertaken at a fi xed fee, agreed at the outset, and defi nitely not at a percentage of the estate’s value.


Just An amazing inheritance


The Marine Conservation Society is the UK’s leading charity for the protection of our seas, coasts and marine wildlife.


Mike Crossley


Marine Conservation Society Over Ross House, Ross Park, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 7QQ Tel: 01989 566017 E-mail: info@mcsuk.org


Please quote reference: SL15


Support us with a gift in your Will and help us secure a better future for our beautiful marine wildlife


Support us with a gift in your Will and help us secure a better future for our beautiful marine wildlife.


www.mcsuk.org


Mike Crossley Marine Conservation Society Over Ross House, Ross Park, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 7QQ Tel: 01989 566017 E-mail: info@mcsuk.org


Reg. charity no. (England & Wales): 1004005 Reg. charity no. (Scotland): SC037480


www.mcsuk.org Reg. charity no. (England & Wales): 1004005


Registered charity number 1153487 Please tell us where you saw this advert when responding


Remember Brain Tumour Research in your Will and your gift will leave a legacy of hope.


on cancer research is allocated to this devastating disease


www.braintumourresearch.org/legacy legacy@braintumourresearch.org 01296 733011


national spend of the 1%


Seal © Charlie Phillips


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