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Probate UK Explained

Probate Explained

Carrying out the process of Probate on the estate of a loved one is a significant undertaking. It involves a great deal of challenging legal, and administrative work, which in times of grief can be stressful, not to mention confusing.

Probate Plans

A probate plan means that you can fix the cost of probate in advance meaning your family has nothing to pay and nothing to worry about after your death.

Probate Advice

If you have been: ‘written out’ of a Will, left with insufficient financial provision, or promised something which has not materialised, we can help you.

Contentious Probate

Our network of probate solicitors specialise in providing bespoke, and cost-effective service in relation to disputes surrounding Wills and Inheritance.

We have put together this page to help you understand probate more fully. We have included information such as who is responsible for carrying out probate, what to do if there is or is not a will, the appointment and responsibilities of an Executor and much more. Have a read through and hopefully we will have answered many of the questions that were playing on your mind.

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Probate UK Explained

What is Probate?

In the UK, ‘Probate’ is the term used to describe the legal and financial processes involved in dealing with and distributing the assets of a person who has died. It might mean seeking permission to distribute their assets/estate and/or clear their debts in accordance with their will.

The person who carries out probate is known as the ‘Executor’, and is usually nominated in the deceased’s will. There can be more than one executor and contrary to popular belief, they are allowed to be a beneficiaries of the will.

An executor will often be a family member or a trusted friend of the deceased. However, it is sometimes necessary to appoint a professional executor who will often be a solicitor or professional will writer. In some cases, the next of kin or ‘Executor of the Will’ may have to apply for Probate before anyone can claim, transfer, sell or distribute any of the deceased’s property.

Before probate is undertaken, a ‘Grant of Probate’ or ‘Letters of Administration’ must be obtained.

A ‘grant of probate’ is an official document that gives you the legal right to settle the estate of someone who has died. The Executor uses the grant to show they have the right to access funds, organise finances, and collect and share out the deceased person’s assets as set out in the will. Once this has been granted, the next of kin or Executor may begin dealing with assets of the deceased in accordance with their Will.

Like the grant of probate, the grant of ‘letters of administration’ is a legal document which confirms the administrator’s authority to deal with assets belonging to the deceased.

In some cases such as where the beneficiary is a child, the law states that more than one person must act as the administrator.

You might also come across the term grant of representation which is a general term used for grants of probate and the granting of letters of administration.

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When is Probate Required?

Probate is Required in the UK when the person who died leaves one or more of the following:

  • £10,000 or more
  • stocks or shares
  • some insurance policies
  • property / land owned in their name or as ‘tenants in common’

Usually the bank or relevant institution will require proof of the grant of probate before handing over control of the assets. If the estate is small, some organisations, may choose to release the money to you.

You may not need a grant of probate if the deceased:

  • owned less than £10,000 worth of assets.
  • owned everything jointly with another person, in which case, everything passes automatically to them.

To find out if the assets can be obtained without a grant, the executor or administrator would need to write to each institution informing them of the death and enclosing a photocopy of the death certificate and the will if there is one.

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How Does Probate Work?

How the process of probate in the UK is carried out will depend on whether you choose go through probate yourself or appoint a professional to act on your behalf.

Appointing a professional is often wise, especially if you are dealing with a complex estate or many beneficiaries. If you choose to administer the will yourself, you will need to fill out the relevant forms (if in England you must apply to the Probate Registry) to obtain the right to act as an executor. You will then need to gather all the assets of the deceased and distribute them to the beneficiaries.

Probate also involves tasks such as notifying banks, building societies, relevant government departments of the person’s death, settling and closing accounts they hold, valuing their assets and liabilities and paying off any inheritance tax that might be owed.

Here is a list of steps that the process of probate entails:

The probate process involves the following steps:

  • Find out if the deceased posessed any prepaid probate. This will make the process much simpler and the following steps will be taken care of for you. In cases where probate was prepaid, the solicitor will carry on the following for you.The validity of the Will will be checked as will the beneficiaries’ entitlement to the deceased’s estate.
  • The value of the estate will be determined by identifying and valuing the assets of the deceased against all outstanding debts.
  • A Grant of Representation from the Probate Registry must be obtained before the administration of assets. You may have to fill in a probate application form which can be obtained online from the Government website.
  • The deceased’s executor or representative must swear an oath that the information you supply is true to the best of your knowledge. This can be done at a local probate office or at the office of a commissioner for oaths. Many solicitors offer this service.
  • Payment Inheritance Tax due to HMRC, if there is any.
  • Settling of any outstanding debts by sale of the deceased’s assets if necessary. Remember, tax owed by the deceased is considered a debt on the estate. In situations where debts exceed the value of the estate, the estate becomes insolvent.
  • Recording of all payments to and from the estate. These must show the remaining balance to be distributed amongst beneficiaries.
  • Distribution of the remaining assets according to will

What If There Is No Will?

In the UK, (England and Wales), when someone dies without a Will, the ‘Rules of Intestacy’ apply. This means the deceased’s relatives are lined up in an order of priority and the estate is shared accordingly. So if, for example, their husband, wife or civil partner is still alive, he/she will be the main beneficiary.

After a spouse or civil partner, the order of priority is as follows:

  • Children
  • Grandchildren
  • Great grandchildren
  • Parents
  • Siblings
  • Nieces and nephews
  • Other close relatives

When someone dies ‘intestate’, only a beneficiary is allowed to apply for Probate. This person will be known as an ‘Administrator’, as opposed to an Executor where a Will exists.

The Administrator must apply to the Probate Registry for a Grant of Letters of Administration. This is different to where a will exists where the Executor must apply for a Grant of Probate. Otherwise the process is the same. However, in this case, the Estate will be distributed according to the Rules of Intestacy, not the terms of the Will.

It is hard to determine how long it will take to get a Grant of Probate and complete the Estate administration process as every Estate is different.

Applying For Probate

“Applying for Probate” means applying for the legal right to deal with someone’s property, money and possessions/estate when they pass away. If the person left a will, you will get a ‘grant of probate’. If the person did not leave a will, you’ll get ‘letters of administration’. The process of application is the same for both, though The process is different in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

There are instances when you do not need to apply for probate. This is if the person who died:

  • jointly owned land, property, shares or money, in which case, these will automatically pass to the surviving owners.
  • Had only savings or premium bonds.

Here is a rundown of the steps of applying for probate:

  • Check if there’s a will.
  • Learn what to do if there’s no will.
  • Make a Valuation of the estate and inform HMRC.
  • Make the application for probate.
  • Pay any Inheritance Tax due. Often, a portion of this must be paidbefore probate is carried out.
  • Gather all proceeds from the sale of the person’s property.
  • Pay off outstanding debts.
  • Make a record of how proceeds will be split.
  • Distribute the assets to the people named in the will.

Frequently Asked Questions

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01. What is Probate?
In England and Wales Probate the legal and financial processes carried out when dealing with the assets of a person who has died. Assets might include property, money and possessions. Before anyone can claim what has been left to them, or transfer property, sell/distribute any of the deceased's assets, they may have to apply for Probate. This includes next of kin and named beneficiaries. When Probate has been granted via a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration the next of kin or Executor of the will can start to organise the deceased’s assets in accordance with their Will. If no Will was made, the law will determine who should receive what.
02. How much does probate cost through a solicitor?
Probate Fees vary and are dependant on many factors. These could include the size, value and/or complexity of the estate. The Law Society suggests that solicitors charge a percentage of the value of the estate, depending on whether a property is involved or not. Some solicitors might also decide to charge an hourly rate their labour and costs. Others charge a combination of both. A solicitor might charge more if they are appointed as Executor rather than acting for ‘Lay Executors’. If solicitors charge you a percentage of the estate you could be paying between 1-3% of its value. Otherwise, hourly rates may cost you between £125-£400.
03. What happens if the will doesn’t appoint an Executor ?
If a will does not name an Executor or if the named executor does not wish to act, then a beneficiary named in the will can apply to act as executor in their place. The grant received in this case is called letters of administration with the will annexed. In effect and purpose it is practically the same as an ordinary Grant of Probate.
04. How long do I have to contest a will?
If you have decided to contest a will it is very important to seek legal advice sas soon as possible. If your claim is to be made under the Inheritance Act then you only have 6 months from the date probate was issued. In some circumstances there are time limits which apply depending upon the nature of the claim. For example: a creditor has 6 years to file a claim but if a beneficiary wishes to bring a claim they have 12 years. There is no time limit for a claim made if the basis of the claim is fraud.
05. What if there is no will?
When someone dies no valid Will in place, this means they died Intestate. If this happens the beneficiaries of the Estate are determined by laws commonly referred to as the Rules of Intestacy. (This is also the case if the Will does not name any beneficiaries). Basically, the law determines who shall receive everything from cash to jewellery to books. Intestacy rules don’t always allow for modern family dynamics. They only recognise the next-of-kin as Quite often, unmarried couples, unregistered partners, step children, step brothers and sisters will not inherit anything.
06. What do I need to know about inheritance tax?
Sometimes, when someone passes away, inheritance tax needs to be paid. This can depend on: The value of the property and possessions belonging to the deceased. the value of any gifts made before they died, and who these gifts were given to the value of particular trusts from which the dead person benefited. Who benefits as determined by the will or under rules of intestacy (beneficiaries).
07. How long does probate take?
Probate can take a long time, sometimes even up to a year, even longer in particular complicated cases.. Sometimes banks, building societies, insurance companies and HM Revenue & Customs can make the process drag out. Every case is different. The estate can only be dealt with once all claims have been received. Claims must be made within six months of the date probate was granted. Other things that will probably affect the time scale are: whether or not the deceased’s financial affairs were in order. what was owned and its location; Any business interests of the deceased. whether any legal disputes against the will are made whether inheritance tax needs is owed Dealing with HM Revenue & Customs, making sure all files are closed and income tax, benefits agencies and pensions have been finalised

How Long Does The Process Take?

A straightforward probate case, such as one where the deceased owned a simple estate, no property to sell and a single bank account could take as little as 3 months though most probate cases in the UK take around 6 to 9 months for beneficiaries to receive their inheritance. Professional executors will expect to be paid from the proceeds of the estate for carrying out this duty.

Should I use a solicitor for probate?

There are times you might want to think about using a probate specialist, such as if:

  • The value of the estate is over the Inheritance Tax threshold.
  • The estate is still earning a regular income and complicated taxes need to be paid. (The threshold for the 2016-17 tax year is £325,000).
  • The deceased died without a will, and the estate looks to be complicated to administer.
  • There are doubts about the validity of the will.
  • The deceased had dependents who were deliberately left out of the will who might want to make a claim on the estate.
  • The estate is bankrupt/insolvent/in administration, or;
  • There are doubts that the estate is bankrupt.
  • The deceased owned foreign property / assets.
  • The deceased resided outside the UK for tax purposes.

This list is not exhaustive but gives a good idea of when a solicitor should be approached for probate services.

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