So, probate then?

HAL9000

Currently trying to sort out my Dad's estate. 

The will is simple in that it leaves everything to my Mum. Now, at least two of the banks / building societies that Dad had money invested in (in individual rather than joint accounts) are insisting on probate.

Now it looks like a solicitor would cost several thousand to do probate and that would be a considerable percentage of the total estate.

So I'm wondering about doing it myself, but have never done anything like this before.

Anybody done it? And if so, how easy or difficult was it? And are there any Probate for Dummies type books that you can recommend.

Many thanks.

fretmeister

Getting a Grant of Probate should only cost a couple of hundred.

guitarfishbay

Sorry for your loss.

We're also interested in this but have a different situation. My g/f's mum passed away recently and there was as far as we can tell no will. We don't yet know the size of the estate either.

rlw

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/relationships/death-and-wills/dealing-with-the-financial-affairs-of-someone-who-has-died/#h-probate-and-letters-of-administration


Job done - its all here.  Dead easy to do provided you can fill in a form or two.

guitarfishbay

Thanks

Nitefly

You'll also find that Saga have lots of info available:

http://www.saga.co.uk/magazine/money/personal-finance/inheritance/quick-guide-to-probate-services

siremoon

Yep done it twice in 14 months.  Did everything myself apart from the actual probate application itself.  That cost me £240 to get a local solicitor to do it plus about £150 for the probate registry fee and extra court sealed copies of the grant.

boogieman

I did the whole probate process on my dad's estate. It's not hard, just lots and lots of form filling. You also have to go up to the probate offices at some stage to complete it.

If the will is straightforward I'd do it myself. Edit: just saw your comment about needing an idiot's guide. There's really no need, all the info you need is on the gov't website. HRMC were actually really helpful in this instance too and answered any tax questions I had. It was all sorted in about 12 weeks, start to finish.

ennspek

Sorry for your loss. Probate is a pain but not necessarily complicated.

BahHumbug

I just did the probate and inheritance tax return for my mum.  I also executed my dads will 10 years ago.  As has been said its just a load of information collecting and form filling.  my parents affairs were simple on the face of it, but less simple once I got into it.  Nevertheless I would recommend doing it yourself.

The story from friends suggests that the solicitor solution is very slow and expensive, which makes sense;  ultimately the solicitor is beholden  to the family for the information, but they will ask for it in dribs and drabs, each time they dig out the file and think about it for five minutes.  If the estate is simple then they will not have to apply much law knowledge and you are effectively paying solicitor fees for clerk services.

BahHumbug

I should add that I did use a solicitor for advice and for swearing the oath.  They also helped by recommending an accountant that helped me with some specific inheritance tax advice.  I also found the inheritance tax people at HMRC to be very helpful.

BahHumbug

https://www.bereavementadvice.org/topics/probate-and-legal/step-by-step-guide-to-probate

spark240

A solicitor should be a few hundred at worst...thats what I paid.

MtB

The deceased not leaving a will can be a real PITA. My godfather did this last year - he couldn't be bothered to make one, and instead left it to his remaining brother and 3 sisters to sort out (all now in their 80's). With one of the sisters employing a solicitor to go through the probate process the bill has come to about £3k and taken a year so far (the whole process being tied up is now dependent on one individual who hasn't (can't be bothered) to send proof of ID, and until this is completed the whole process stalls!!).

But it's the share out of his remaining £15k or some such figure that is a mess, and ironically has been split amongst some of those that the old fella probably wouldn't wanted to have had any!

Basically the money is split between his (9) siblings - alive or dead (so to speak) - for those that have passed away the money accorded to them goes to their children, or their children's children if they have passed away. So much of the solicitor's fees have been finding these children to tell them they have a small inheritance, and them having to forward to the solicitor proof of who they are!  

Nitefly

And the moral of the story is - MAKE A WILL!

It doesn't have to cost much, and can save a shitload of trouble when the time comes.

fretmeister

A simple will can be under £100. No previous marriages or kids from other relationships etc

Even a massively complex and expensive one when there are loads of potential beneficiaries and ex-marriages kidsand estranged whatevers etc to sort out is usually still under £1000

Nitefly

OM and I did ours via the Saga website - £60 for the two (simple crossover, mine goes to her hers goes to me, survivor leaves it to the kids).

boogieman

My old man wrote his will on a piece of notepaper, so it probably cost about 2p for the paper and biro ink. It was a very simple will though and I wouldn't recommend it for everyone.

Mrs B and I did ours via a solicitor when we got married a couple of years ago, we both have children from former relationships so we wanted to make sure everything was kosher. Cost £350 for both.

marantz1300

My wife's sister and one of her two brothers were the executers.

They are upstanding ,church going pillars of the community. He's an ex headmaster, a labour councillor  and a magistrate.

They refused to tell what was in the will and filled their pockets.

The bank called us (they were going to hand it over to the bank, but that would have cost £20,000) and we found out there was over £500,00 in assets.

My wife and her other brother ended up getting £75.000 each.

Apparently what the executer says is law.

Her family is now broken.

If you are in charge ,be open, sit down and share with the rest of the family..

Ro_S

yes, i have done all the p/wk recently and without requiring a solicitor.

the one i did involved a single heir, the next of kin.

feel free to PM me

boogieman

marantz1300;1138986" said:

My wife's sister and one of her two brothers were the executers.They are upstanding ,church going pillars of the community. He's an ex headmaster, a labour councillor  and a magistrate.They refused to tell what was in the will and filled their pockets.The bank called us (they were going to hand it over to the bank, but that would have cost £20,000) and we found out there was over £500,00 in assets.My wife and her other brother ended up getting £75.000 each.Apparently what the executer says is law.Her family is now broken.If you are in charge ,be open, sit down and share with the rest of the family..

I would have got a solicitor on the case with that. I'm not sure an executor has any rights to conceal what is in a will. Also if they have gone against the wishes of the will writer, they've acted illegally and committed fraud.