In the event of your death, your last will and testament will be used to evidence how you would like your assets to be divided and between who. But this isn’t always straight forward. People can contest a will, they might be unable to find the original version of your will, or someone might claim your state of mind was unable to make the decisions at the time (for example) and in these cases the executors of your will have to go through a long and rigorous probate process to get what’s entitled to them.
Independent Trustee Services
There are a variety of Trusts that can be set up as part of your will to ensure that your assets are protected, and go to the people you want them to after your death. When you set up a Trust like this, part of the process involves nominating the people who will run it on your behalf. Like Executors, these ‘Trustees’ can include family members or friends. You can even make us one of your Professional Trustees, as we have all the experience and expertise required to make sure it is administered correctly.
Probate Services
Probate is the legal process used to establish who will receive the property, assets and possessions of someone who has died. Probate isn’t always necessary, for example, if your estate is small (such as under £5000) or if everything has been left to a surviving partner, then they might not need to go through probate. However, banks and financial institutions all vary in their rules, so it is a good idea to get some legal advice.
If you have been named an Executor on someone else’s will and you aren’t sure what you need to do, we have a special Probate service to provide the knowledge and support you may need. This can include applying to the Courts for a Grant of Probate (which confirms the will is legally valid and gives you the authority to carry out the person’s wishes). This can be quite complicated as the Court requires details of all the person’s debts as well as their assets. However, given our extensive experience we are well-placed to support you, every step of the way, and even carry out the majority of the work involved on your behalf.
If you are writing a Will, you can also name us as your Executor, which means we will automatically be able to carry out the Probate process on behalf of you and your loved ones.
If you have been named an Executor on someone else’s will and you aren’t sure what you need to do, we have a special Probate service to provide the knowledge and support you may need. This can include applying to the Courts for a Grant of Probate (which confirms the will is legally valid and gives you the authority to carry out the person’s wishes). This can be quite complicated as the Court requires details of all the person’s debts as well as their assets. However, given our extensive experience we are well-placed to support you, every step of the way, and even carry out the majority of the work involved on your behalf.
If you are writing a Will, you can also name us as your Executor, which means we will automatically be able to carry out the Probate process on behalf of you and your loved ones.
The benefits of appointing us as an executor
There are lots of benefits to appointing us as an executor on your will, these include:
• We can deal with the legal bits on behalf of your family, protecting them at a difficult and emotional time.
• We have expertise and competence in probate, which means we can ensure valuations are correct, necessary reports are all filed, and that liabilities are settled and assets are distributed properly. It also means we can handle any problems that arise in more complicated cases.
• Where there are disputes between beneficiaries or executives, we are able to step in and settle these in a professional and impartial manner.
To discuss how we can help you as an executor, or for more information, contact us now.
• We can deal with the legal bits on behalf of your family, protecting them at a difficult and emotional time.
• We have expertise and competence in probate, which means we can ensure valuations are correct, necessary reports are all filed, and that liabilities are settled and assets are distributed properly. It also means we can handle any problems that arise in more complicated cases.
• Where there are disputes between beneficiaries or executives, we are able to step in and settle these in a professional and impartial manner.
To discuss how we can help you as an executor, or for more information, contact us now.