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Please telephone us on 020 7739 6927 to discuss your requirements in connection with the preparation of a Will.

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Administration of Estates

Set out below is an outline of what has to be done before work is completed before a deceased's estate can finally be wound up.

As an Executor/Administrator you have the responsibility of administering the estate property. This means establishing the extent of the estate, paying the debts and distributing the balance. The law requires that this must be done with due diligence.

Unless the estate is very small and with no leasehold or freehold property (such as a house or a flat) you as personal representatives will have to obtain a grant of representation from the Probate Registry showing entitlement to deal with the estate. We will probably be able to let you know straight away if a grant is needed, and we can handle all the necessary paperwork for you.

If the deceased left a Will, the application is to the Probate Registry for a Grant of Probate; if the deceased did not make a Will and therefore died “intestate”, the application is for a Grant of Letters of Administration.

If a Will was left, this should set out who is to inherit the estate. If there was no Will, the law sets out who is entitled to inherit and we should be able to tell you at a very early stage which members of the family are entitled to the estate and in what proportions and shares.

We can handle all the following steps on the basis of the information that you provide:-

1. Estimating the value of the estate after all the bills are paid and identifying any problems there may be before the beneficiaries can be given their entitlements.

2. Estimating the length of time it will take to deal with everything; we can tell you how long we expect this to be and, as far as possible, what the cost will be.

3. Dealing with any inheritance tax due – this has to be paid before we can get the Grant of Representation from the Probate Registry.

4. Sending copies of the Grant to banks, building societies and others holding money and property. Some items may need to be sold and other larger and more valuable items may have to be professionally valued. Fees for this and other work for the estate can be paid from money in the estate.

5. Collecting and paying estate money into our Client Account (where it will be subject to the protection of the Law Society’s Rules regarding solicitors firms handling of clients money). This also helps us to start to prepare the accounts, which will show the assets of the estate and the payments of bills and legacies. We should be able to let you know how matters stand at any particular time, should you wish it.

6. Once the bills have been paid, it will be possible to start paying smaller legacies under the Will. The final stages of our work can involve obtaining confirmation from the Inland Revenue that no more tax is due, finalising the accounts, handing over the remaining entitlements to the beneficiaries and getting their receipts.