Probate and Estate Administration

Probate is the term used to describe the legal process of dealing with a person's estate after their death. This can be an extremely stressful process, especially if you are dealing with the death of a loved one.

Our specialist Probate and Trusts team have many years’ experience in taking the burden off family members and dealing with the necessary legal procedures involved in administering a person's estate in the UK.

If the deceased left a Will, it will usually appoint Executors who are responsible for administering the estate. If there is no Will, Administrators will be appointed to administer the estate. Executors and Administrators are often referred to as Personal Representatives. They have the task of collecting in the deceased's assets, i.e. closing down bank accounts, selling or transferring shares, selling or transferring property and paying any legacies of money and distributing personal items. They are also required to settle any debts of the estate and to deal with any tax issues, including Inheritance Tax, Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax.

Personal Representatives will often need to apply for a Grant of Representation. This is a legal document issued by the High Court which authorises the Personal Representatives to administer the estate. If there is a Will, the Grant is called a Grant of Probate. If there is no Will, it is called a Grant of Letters of Administration. Most financial institutions will require sight of the Grant before they will release the monies, although this may not be the case if the sums involved are relatively small. If the deceased owned a property or shares, a Grant will almost certainly be required. 

Our Probate and Trusts solicitors can help you with this process by taking care of all the paperwork involved, including sworn Oaths by the Personal Representatives and accounts of the estate for HM Revenue & Customs.

 

What our clients say

  • "No improvement to service needed. Alison was the epitome of professional calm in going over options and maintaining patience, and indeed advised against a path that certainly would have achieved higher fees for her, but the correct call in retrospect. So I feel her advice was professional and unbiased. She was attentive in keeping me appraised of news, and maintained a polite and stress free approach which kept me calm and optimistic a final result in my favour would occur. Would recommend her, and the firm, to others." Anon
  • “Dealt with Alison primarily for Power of Attorney, very helpful and polite.” Anon
  • “I cannot think of any way that we could have had better service!!!” Anon
  • "Our solicitor has been extremely conscientious at all times, always available to advise and above all has always been very supportive and empathetic to my case. He really did make a stressful situation a lot easier for myself and my family" Mrs T
  • "We used this wonderful firm for a recent home sale and purchase, their service was outstanding. Everything was carried out with the utmost care and attention and all the staff including a senior Partner were so friendly and helpful. Absolutely top notch." Anon
  • "Over the past 8 years Teresa Braddon and her team have created my Will and have done numerous conveyancing transactions for myself and my family.  I have found Teresa and her Team most helpful and efficient. Everything was carried out with care and attention. All the staff including Teresa, a senior Partner, were friendly and helpful. I would recommend Braddon and Snow and their services." Tony Stavrou
  • "I would highly recommend Braddon & Snow to anybody, very professional and efficient service. They treat you like a person rather than just a number. I am mentally disabled and sometimes I do not get respect or understanding shown to me. Braddon & Snow couldn’t of been more kind and they always took the time to explain all the legal terminology to me so I understood. I would especially like to thank Emily Morten and Jane Blackett as they really went above and beyond what they had to. Value for money and excellent staff. Use this company."  Mr M Brooke
  • "Thank you all so very much for all your help and kindest attention over the years.   In every conceivable way you go out of your way, above and beyond any expectations. You are incredible, and all your team are unbelievably pleasant. I hope these few lines go a little way to thank you so very much."  Mr M Ledger
  • "May I say that Laya has been fantastic.  She has been an absolute delight to speak with, always giving clear and positive instructions and pacifying when necessary.  Please be assured we will definitely recommend your company and hopefully be in a position to use your services again and again." L Page
  • "We found dealing with Braddon & Snow very pleasant and relaxed.  We had a few problems dealing with the seller's leaseholder solicitors which needed a lot of patience and Teresa and Laya were very helpful at all times and very easy to communicate with." R & J Keith
  • It’s been an absolute delight and superb to work your Conveyance Team of Jane Blackett and Emily, providing first class services. Dedicated and smart resolutions to most difficult queries. Our sincerest and dearest appreciation for their magnificent services and friendly communication throughout
  • I appreciate the efficiency of your team (Louise, Sara, Elle, Melanie, Alex, Lauren etc) during this crisis. You were always easy to get and had a great phone forwarding system with access to the details on transactions. Everybody was very helpful, responsive and friendly. You can be proud of the company you work for. 
  • I cannot speak highly enough of the service given to me in the sale and purchase of my properties last week by Jane Blackett and Ken Sheppard at the Broxbourne office. They dealt with my matters promptly and with care and commitment. Nothing was too much trouble and they were always there to speak to me when needed. Everything was done with professionalism and courtesy. They ensured that everything was covered and I felt very confident in their dealings with all matters concerned. I recommend them without hesitation to give their clients a smooth and excellent service.
  • The best thing throughout this process was the professionalism shown by the Conveyancing Team at Braddon and Snow Solicitors, our case was handled by Melanie and her very able assistant Roksana.  Although we were frustrated and sometimes very ratty, they kept very calm and dealt with all of our enquiries and problems as they came along, most of all they kept us advised and up to date.  We in all honesty could not have asked for or been supported any better by these two Ladies. Towards the end, we were calling Roksana on a regular daily basis, and were delighted to hear her positive and cheerful friendly voice.  I would highly recommend these Ladies to anyone, unlike the Firm that they were dealing with, who would not even respond to their calls.