Contact us today to discuss your requirements (evening appointments available): 01189 776 064 / info@afps.co.uk

Probate

Your wishes in practice

Introduction to Probate

In addition to the immediate tasks your Executors will need to attend to, such as arranging the funeral, there is often a lot of paperwork to be dealt with and official documents which need to be completed over the next few weeks.

Many Wills will have appointed relatives or trusted friends as their Executor but being the Executor of an estate is not really an honour, it’s a difficult, time consuming job that can carry some legal liability. They need to be sure that they understand their duties and responsibilities. For example, payment of all taxes becomes their personal responsibility and may leave them liable to penalties. Equally, they would have a liability to the beneficiaries should any mistakes occur and the beneficiaries may look to them for compensation.

An executor could find themselves administering the estate over a long period of time and could quite possibly become unpopular with the beneficiaries of the Will, They would also need to arrange for the care of any minor children and pets, and arrange any insurance cover required for the deceased's assets.

A Professional Executor is always the best choice, particularly if any of the following apply:

Where there are multiple assets such as: bank accounts and savings, shares, bonds and investments.
Where there are liabilities such as mortgages, loans or credit cards.
Where a property is to be sold or conveyed.
Where the estate is of a high value.
Where there is a business or the deceased was a partner in a business.
Agricultural property.
Family Trusts or large gifts to under 18’s.
Where a potential claim under the Provision for Family and Dependants Act 1975 by someone who feels unfairly treated by the Will, or by the rules of intestacy.
If the Will is badly drafted or beneficiaries cannot be traced.

Committed to excellent service

To find out more about how we can help, please call, email or fill-in one of the forms below. We are based in Wokingham, Berkshire and have a growing client base throughout the South East and indeed across the country. For local appointments we can arrange to meet in person at your home and if you are further afield we can arrange a phone call or video conference call at a time to suit you.

The Probate services we provide in Association with Countrywide, are a fixed cost at an extremely competitive rate of 1.5% of the estate value (many Banks charge around 4-5%). This can make considerable cost savings on even a relatively common estate value of £500,000. In this scenario, roughly adding up to savings of around £12,500 to £17,500 in comparison to the Banks charges!

For more information on the role of an Executor, applying for Probate and Deed of Variation please view our FAQs, contact us on 01189 776064, e-mail: info@afps.co.uk or via our live chat service.