After a loved one dies, you may face having to go through probate. This can add a significant amount of stress to an already emotional time, as it can be a big undertaking that carries a lot of responsibility.
If you are the one charged with applying for probate and administering the estate, then you are allowed to seek legal help. A probate solicitor or licensed probate provider can complete the probate process on your behalf, and once a Grant of Probate has been obtained, can wind up the estate.
This will remove the burden from your shoulders, and you can rest safe in the knowledge that a legal expert is taking care of everything for you.
What can a probate solicitor do for you?
When someone dies, their loved ones will need to determine whether or not probate is required. Probate is not needed every time someone passes away, and it is only in certain circumstances that it will be necessary.
1. Tell you if Probate is needed
So, the first thing that a probate solicitor can do is tell you whether or not probate is needed. You will have to provide some information to enable a solicitor to make this 
judgement, such as what assets the deceased owned, and whether these assets were jointly owned.
2. Apply for a Grant of Probate
If a probate solicitor confirms that probate is indeed required, they can actually handle the entire process for you. Again, your participation will be needed at certain stages, particularly regarding the provision of documents and information regarding assets/liabilities.
However, a probate solicitor can prepare the application to the Probate Registry. This typically involves calculating the value of the deceased’s assets, calculating the value of their debts, and calculating whether inheritance tax is due.
A probate solicitor can then fill out the necessary paperwork and apply to the Probate Registry for a Grant of Probate. It is worth noting that you can, of course, do all this yourself. But having a probate solicitor do it for you will save you a considerable amount of time and worry. It will also reduce the risk of any mistakes being made.
3. Administer the estate
Once the Grant of Probate has been issued, the Executor or Administrator of the estate is free to wind up the deceased’s affairs. Again, a probate solicitor can do all of this for you, if you want. The tasks involved will depend entirely on the circumstances, but might include:
- Collecting in assets
- Paying off debts
- Placing adverts requesting that creditors come forward
- Selling or transferring assets
- Finding missing beneficiaries
- Distributing the estate to the beneficiaries
- Creating estate accounts
Why use a probate solicitor?
If you are responsible for administering a deceased person’s estate, you do not have to use a probate solicitor. The choice is yours. But many people choose to get legal help, particularly if the estate is large, complex or contains overseas assets.
This is because the probate process requires a significant amount of administration, and in some cases, legal technicalities. This can consume a large amount of your time.
Furthermore, the Executor or Administrator will actually be held legally accountable for any errors that are made, something which could prove very costly. Therefore many people feel that it is best to leave it to the professionals.
Probate solicitors near you
If you would like help obtaining probate, we are here to help you. We can connect you with probate solicitors near you, at absolutely no cost to you whatsoever.
To get started, simply fill in the free online enquiry form, or contact us for more information.