A simpler way to apply for Probate

The legal and administrative process of dealing with the money, property and personal possessions of someone who has died is commonly known as probate. This means that the executors of the will must obtain a Grant of Probate in order to sell or encash certain property and accounts. 

Kwil have experienced and highly competent probate administrators who specialise in administration of estates. There is no requirement to use a solicitor, who will be far more expensive. Kwil can undertake the administration for you at a fixed cost with the guarantee that there will be no hidden charges and you will not be asked to pay any more than your initial quote. 

It is sometimes unclear whether or not you will require a grant of probate. The list below shows which assets you will be likely to need probate for: 

1. Selling a house 
2. Selling shareholdings (eg like Captia or BT shares) 
3. Closing a bank account with more than £15,000 

The easiest way to find out whether or not you will need probate is to call one of our experienced advisors who will be happy to go through everything on the phone. 

You may need to get probate for any assets that are not held in the joint names of you and your spouse. For example, if your spouse had an ISA in his or her sole name you may need to get probate before you would be able to deal with the account. Any assets e.g. a house or bank accounts that are held in joint names will usually be transferred automatically to you. 

If the person who died left a will then the executors appointed in the will are able to apply for the grant of probate.
If there is no will then there is an order of who can apply: 

• Surviving spouse 
• Children (including any adopted children but not step-children) 
• Grandchildren over 18 if children have died 
• Parents  
• Siblings 

When a will is made the executors are often told where the will has been stored. If it was made with a solicitor then it could be held with them. It may also be possible that it has been stored at a bank. The person who made the will may also have registered the will with Certainty, which is the national wills database.  The executors will usually need to show evidence of identity e.g. a passport or driving licence before the will can be released to them.

An executor is responsible for dealing with the estate of the person who has died. This can feel like a daunting task because with the role comes a fair amount of responsibility and work involved. This can include: 

1. Valuing all of the assets of the person who has died, including any houses and businesses.
2. Notifying all beneficiaries of any bequests made to them in the will.
3. Notifying all utility companies, banks and other institutions where the person who died held accounts or investments.
4. Completing and submitting the relevant Inheritance Tax return to HMRC and paying any inheritance tax that is due. 
5. Applying to the probate registry for a grant of probate. 
6. Corresponding with all relevant companies and organisations to close and/or transfer accounts once the grant of probate has been received. 
7. Arranging for the sale of the property (if applicable).
8. Preparing estate accounts
9. Obtaining formal tax clearance and distributing the assets of the estate to the beneficiaries.

Probate is well known to be costly and time consuming. The cost of probate is usually based on how complex the estate is and how much work is involved. Kwil have a transparent pricing policy and the quote you get at the start will not change. 

The cost involved in paying for probate can be paid from the estate of the person who has died.