Best Probate Solicitors in Petersfield

No, we never appoint ourselves as your executors without your strict instructions to do so. We understand that there has been a lot of publicity recently about Will writers, solicitors and banks charging extortionate fees for being executors and refusing to step down, when requested to do so by other executors or beneficiaries. We do not do this.

We aim to finish cases within four months. However, we have to rely on the efficiency of the courts and the banks to achieve this goal. The courts are currently taking 16 weeks to issue papers. We fully understand that the sooner probate is finished the easier it becomes for those who are grieving for loved ones.

Our standard practice is to charge the Estate after the executors have signed the closing accounts. Providing all parties agree these accounts, we will send out cheques to beneficiaries and settle our invoice. If there is a property to sell, or the Estate is going to take longer than four months to complete, we may have latitude to pay interim payments to the beneficiaries.

Yes you can. Providing your solicitor has not started work on the case, you can quite legitimately ask him or her to stand down as the executor. We have one simple document that he/she signs, to hand the case over to us. The same process applies if the deceased person had instructed a bank to sort out their financial affairs in which case it is even more important to shop around for quotes. We have had cases where the bank charges have been four times as great as ours would have been.

This is a term to cover both Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration with Will annexed. They are issued by the courts and few financial institution will release monies for the beneficiaries without one.