The Advantages of Hiring Expert Probate Solicitors

Probate solicitors assist in administering the estate of your loved one following bereavement.

While people can do this for themselves, there are significant responsibilities involved with significant risks for the unwary – add in the distress suffered through bereavement, plus the time involved organising the funeral, and that’s why most people tend to solicitors for professional probate legal advice and assistance..

Probate legal advice can be provided by the banks or probate solicitors. While the cost of gaining probate legal advice is expensive, solicitors are usually cheaper than banks. Typically a bank will charge between four and five per cent of the value of the estate for probate. Solicitors tend to base their fee schedule on guidance from the Law Society and usually average between £2,000 to £5,000 -though it can be more or less depending, of course, on a series of factors including the size of the estate. Some solicitors in fact may offer cheaper fees for online probate legal advice.

When wills are made they name one or more executors. Executors are the people appointed to be responsible for applying for the grant of probate, gathering in monies, paying any outstanding bills and distributing the balance to the beneficiaries named in the will. But often a solicitor is named as the executor. They will carry out all the duties expected of the executor and upon completion charge a fee for the work done.

As with most things, clients want to keep cost as low as possible. They can also do this when seeking probate legal advice. One way to do this is to agree a fixed fee after first meeting the solicitor. Also it may be worthwhile the client undertaking some of the tasks, rather than leaving it all to the solicitor, in a bid to reduce costs.

It should be understood that other factors may affect the cost of hiring a solicitor. These include such things as if there is an error in the will, or if it is contested.

Once a probate solicitor has been hired there are several duties he will have to perform. If executors have been nominated to administer the deceased’s estate the solicitor will apply for grant of probate on their behalf, and then help them administer the estate.

If no will was ever made, there will be complications. Here specialist probate legal advice will be very useful. A probate lawyer is able to assist people, such as the next of kin, make a claim for financial provision, and if need be prove the relationship with the deceased.

Whether a will was made or not the services of probate solicitors are invaluable.