Professional Probate Services

  • Fixed fees - Free quotation
  • A dedicated advisor to help and support you
  • Fully insured and regulated probate lawyers
Talk to one of our friendly advisors today on 0800 788 0440

 

Probate at April King

Receive your inheritance in weeks, not months or years

Are you an Executor or next-of-kin looking for a fast and caring probate service? Do you need a Grant of Probate in order to sell a house?

We can arrange an advance on your inheritance now while we work on probate, so you don’t have to wait.

Despite what others may say, completing the probate process and dealing with the estate all takes time. It can be a long and sometime frustrating process. This is because there are usually multiple parties and organisations involved. Our complete probate service allows you to focus on other things and leave all the stress and paperwork to us, and while we are doing that you can benefit from an advance of up to 60% of your inheritance. You can even start with some of your inheritance now, say 20% or 30%, then use a draw-down facility to release extra inheritance should you need it until probate is finally granted and the estate can be distributed. There is no credit check for the inheritance advance.

We will: -

  • Arrange for up to 60% of your inheritance to be advanced to you.
  • Deal with all the legal matters relating to the estate.
  • Give you a bespoke fixed fee quote.
  • Provide a direct line to you case manager.
  • Offer free initial guidance and support.

We can help with the whole process from dealing with banks and other institutions, HMRC reporting, help with a probate house sale and even help with things like maintenance issues on a vacant property.

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Our dedicated in-house team of specialist friendly probate lawyers know that speed of service is vitally important to you. We also know that you need a direct point of contact, not a switchboard, we know that regular updates are important to you so that you can plan ahead and reassured that matters are being dealt with promptly.

In addition to our expert team of probate advisors and lawyers we also work with trusted third-party partners to provide an Inheritance Advance Service to beneficiaries of up to 60% of the estate value. These trusted partners are FCA regulated and we can work on your behalf for them to arrange an advance of your inheritance.

Aimed at beneficiaries of Estates both pre-and post-granted probate.

Can be used for any purpose, including clearing personal debt, paying bills, or a dream purchase.

Available to testate and intestate estates (testate means there is a will, Intestate means there is no will).

Applications assess solely on the value of the estate, not personal circumstances or credit rating. No charges over property.

Advance is repaid when the inheritance is available to be distributed. No monthly payments and no early repayment fees.

No risk to the borrower. If it turns out that your inheritance is less than expected, you will not be required to pay the shortfall - should there be one.

The arrangement fee (which is simply added to the loan) is 2% of the loan amount. The interest rate is 2% per month for as long as the advance is outstanding.

Call us on 0800 788 0440 to learn more about our Inheritance Advance Service.

We know how difficult a time it is when we lose someone close. We offer a sensitive probate service designed to remove the burden of dealing with the estate. Our friendly team will offer you guidance and reassurance and show you why thousands of clients have used our probate service to bring closure following the death of a loved one.

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What is probate

Are you an Executor or next-of-kin looking for a fast and caring probate service? Do you need a Grant of Probate in order to sell a house?

We can arrange an advance on your inheritance now while we work on probate, so you don’t have to wait.

Call our Probate & Inheritance Advance team today on
0800 788 0440

Our lines are open Monday - Friday 8.30am - 8pm, Saturday 9am - 5pm, Sunday 10am - 4pm

Paul King April King lawyers

PAUL KING TEP EXPLAINS:

Professional Probate Services

When someone dies, you need to be able to deal with their assets and possessions (their ‘estate’) and distribute them according to their wishes. You might need to apply for a ‘grant of representation’, which is known as ‘probate’. You can either apply for yourself, or use a lawyer to apply for you.

A lot of people will start out thinking they can handle probate by themselves – but soon find out the process is not as easy as they thought. Often it can be too much to deal with, especially if they are already trying to handle the grief of losing a loved one. A probate specialist will typically handle the matter more quickly, dealing with tax matters and ensuring no assets are missed. By helping you receive some of the inheritance quickly through our Inheritance Advance Service you do not have the added stresses of waiting long periods of time to receive your inheritance and you can leave things to us to sort.

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You should always consider using professional probate services such as ours where:

  • The value of the estate is over the Inheritance Tax threshold
  • The estate is still earning a regular income
  • There is no Will and the estate is not straightforward
  • There are any doubts at all about the validity of the Will
  • The deceased had dependants who they left out of the will
  • There is any possibility that the Will might be challenged
  • The estate has any complexities, such as assets held in a trust
  • The estate is bankrupt
  • The estate includes foreign property or foreign assets – issues here include double taxation and forced-heirship amongst others
  • For tax purposes the deceased resided outside of the UK (non-UK domiciled individuals)

We can provide you with affordable cost-effective probate services.

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What do probate solicitors do

Probate FAQs

What do probate solicitors do?

There are two aspects that a probate solicitor can assist with. The first is obtaining the Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration; and the second is administering the estate. Some probate solicitors only deal with one of these aspects; others deal with both.

Obtaining the Grant of Probate involves submitting a probate application form together with the appropriate Inheritance Tax forms, paying the inheritance tax due, and sending off a range of paperwork.

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Administering the Estate involves informing all relevant organisations of the Deceased's death, closing their accounts and collecting in their assets, identifying their debts and advertising for creditors, paying the debts (prioritising if necessary), claiming life insurance if applicable, valuing the estate, preparing and submitting final accounts (paying any additional tax due), and distributing the balance to the beneficiaries.

There is a lot of work involved and many lay Executors find they don't have the time to tackle all of these tasks with their existing commitments. Our probate solicitors can agree with you which aspects of the process you are happy to deal with and which you would like help with, before offering you a competitive quote.

What is probate?

Generally, when we use the term 'probate', we are referring to administering the estate of a Deceased person. Simply put, this means collecting in all their assets, paying their debts, handling tax and legal matters, and ultimately distributing the estate to those entitled. In fact, 'Probate' is a reference to the legal documentation needed to carry out this work. Where the Deceased left a Will, a 'Grant of Probate' must be obtained to administer the estate. If they did not make a Will, a Grant of 'Letters of Administration' will be necessary.

The first step, therefore, is to check whether or not the Deceased person left a Will. If they did, this will name the persons who are entitled to deal with their estate. If not, there are statutory rules which set out who can deal with the estate.

When is probate required?

Probate will not usually be required for small estates in England and Wales. Typically, an estate will be classed as small where the value of the estate is £5,000 or less. For estates that are worth £5,000 or more, or for estates that contain property which is not jointly owned, probate will usually be required.

Quite often you may be told by others that 'probate isn’t needed'. Our experience is that this is usually not the case as they are simply not privy to all the facts and are taking things on face value. Our advice is to contact us in the first instance, and we will be pleased to advise as to whether probate is required.

How long does probate take?

It takes between four and eight weeks to obtain the Grant itself. However, typically the entire probate process will take between 9 and 12 months to complete in England and Wales, regardless of whether the Deceased made a Will or not. This includes both obtaining the Grant of Probate (or Letters of Administration if there is no Will) and completing administration of the Estate. Very simple estates may not take as long - while more complex estates can take longer. Matters such as having to sell a property or dealing with property abroad can create delays. Further, if there is no Will, identifying and locating the correct beneficiaries can take time.

Executors will not usually distribute the estate within 6 months, to avoid incurring any personal liability from claims against the estate.

Generally administering an estate takes a significant amount of legal, tax and admin work. Even if the Deceased appointed Executors, they may not be able to complete the work quickly because of personal commitments and consequently, the Probate process will take longer. Many Executors therefore choose to appoint a specialist probate solicitor to do the work on their behalf for this reason.

What do probate solicitors do?

There are two aspects that a probate solicitor can assist with. The first is obtaining the Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration; and the second is administering the estate. Some probate solicitors only deal with one of these aspects; others deal with both.

Obtaining the Grant of Probate involves submitting a probate application form together with the appropriate Inheritance Tax forms, paying the inheritance tax due, and sending off a range of paperwork.

Administering the Estate involves informing all relevant organisations of the Deceased's death, closing their accounts and collecting in their assets, identifying their debts and advertising for creditors, paying the debts (prioritising if necessary), claiming life insurance if applicable, valuing the estate, preparing and submitting final accounts (paying any additional tax due), and distributing the balance to the beneficiaries.

There is a lot of work involved and many lay Executors find they don't have the time to tackle all of these tasks with their existing commitments. Our probate solicitors can agree with you which aspects of the process you are happy to deal with and which you would like help with, before offering you a competitive quote.

What is the process for applying for probate?

To apply for the Grant of Probate, you must submit a probate application form (PA1P) together with the correct Inheritance Tax forms (IHT205 or IHT400 and IHT435 if applicable). You will need to pay any inheritance tax due and send off the correct paperwork to the probate registry, including the application fee, an official copy of the death certificate, together with the original will and three copies. If there are insufficient liquid assets in the estate to pay the inheritance tax (for example, cash in a bank account), you will need to pay from your own pocket or arrange a loan. You'll then recoup the money paid from the estate at a later date when the assets are sold.

You'll then need to inform all relevant organisations, closing accounts and collecting in the assets. You'll identify any debts, placing an advert in The Gazette - and then pay debts in correct priority order. Claims on any life insurance policies should also be made. Once assets have been collected in and debts dealt with, you will value the estate, submit final accounts and distribute what's left to the appropriate beneficiaries. This should not be done before 6 months has passed, to avoid personal liability from claims.

There is a great deal of legal, administrative and tax work involved in dealing with an estate. We appreciate that this can often come at an already stressful time. Our probate lawyers are here to offer as much or as little support as you need in administering the estate of your loved one.

Our probate services

April King’s team offer a friendly and professional fixed fee service. We will offer you a face-to-face video call or telephone call to explain the processes for Probate and Estate Administration to you, providing initial advice and guidance completely free of charge. This will help you to make the necessary decisions about what you should do next. If you use our team to deal with probate on your behalf, our probate solicitors can take care of as little or as much of the estate administration process as you choose, for a competitive fee.

Call us on 0800 788 0440 to learn more about our Inheritance Advance and Probate Service.

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* Inheritance Advance Service: April King Probate is a trading name of AK Probate Ltd. AK Probate Ltd is a consultant practice to Nexa Law Ltd. Nexa Law Ltd is a limited company registered in England & Wales No 10209198, it is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority under SRA Number: 633024 and it complies with the Solicitors' Code of Conduct, a copy of which can be located at http://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/handbook/code/content.page Registered Office & Correspondence Address: Suite 2 Salop House, 13 Salop Road, Oswestry, Shropshire SY11 2NR. Nexa Law Limited is an appointed introducer to Provira Limited. The Inheritance Advance service is provided by Provira Limited who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN No: 946175). Finance is subject to availability and status. Applicants must be 18 or over. Terms and Conditions apply. Registered Office: Fitzroy House, Crown Street, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 3LG. Finance is subject to availability and status, Applicants must be 18 or over. Terms and Conditions apply.

Representative Example: An Advance of £50,000 will incur an Arrangement Fee of 2% (£1,000). Interest is calculated on the advance and the fee. Interest accrues daily, based on an annual rate of 24% (fixed). Assuming the Estate takes 12 months to liquidate, you would owe £12,240 in interest plus £51,000 in capital and fees, resulting in a total balance owed of £63,240 and a representative 26.5% APR.