Dealing with the estate of a loved one can be stressful and complicated at what is already a difficult time. Our probate lawyers here in Bury St Edmunds offer a professional service that aims to make the process as smooth and straightforward as possible, even in more complex estates or where the deceased did not leave a Will.
We have decades of experience in dealing with all aspects of probate and estate administration, and you will find our team sympathetic and understanding as well as efficient.
We offer as much help as you need, which could be a single task such as obtaining the Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration or dealing with the full estate administration.
Our probate lawyers are recognised in the region as being outstanding. Our team is ranked highly by the leading directory, the Legal 500, for their expertise in Personal Tax, Trusts and Probate, along with Private Wealth Disputes.
All of our probate lawyers receive the highest level of training, and as a team, we have in-depth expertise across the full range of probate issues as well as memberships of leading bodies, including the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), the Association of Lifetime Lawyers and the Association of Tax Technicians.
Our Bury St Edmunds probate solicitors can help you with:
- Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration
- Full estate administration
- Bespoke probate and estate administration support as needed
- Intestacy (where no Will has been left)
- Inheritance disputes (contentious probate)
- Deeds of Variation
- Trust Registration Service.
We can also refer you to experts in other teams at Ashtons Legal for assistance with related issues that often arise in probate, such as dealing with a family home and updating Wills.
Arrange an initial consultation with our probate solicitors in Bury St Edmunds
We offer an initial consultation with one of our experienced probate lawyers to discuss your situation and how we can help. Following this meeting, you will receive a reporting letter of advice setting out the probate process and the roles and responsibilities of an Executor/Administrator. This can be in person or via Microsoft Teams.
Our fees for this consultation and reporting letter will be in the region of £650 – £1,000 plus VAT.
You can get in touch at your local Bury St Edmunds office or use our online enquiry form, and a member of the team will contact you.
How we can help with probate in Bury St Edmunds
Obtaining a Grant of Probate
One of the first jobs to deal with when winding up an estate is usually applying for a Grant of Probate or, where there is no Will, a Grant of Letters of Administration. This provides the legal authority that the estate’s personal representatives will need to enable them to collect the estate assets and administer the estate.
Our probate lawyers in Bury St Edmunds can apply for the Grant on your behalf, putting together the correct paperwork to ensure that the application proceeds smoothly.
The services we can provide include the following:
- Advising whether probate is necessary (in a small estate, it might not be needed)
- Calculating the value of the estate
- Reporting this to HM Revenue & Customs and paying any Inheritance Tax which is due
- Applying for the Grant of Probate or the Grant of Letters of Administration
- Advising in respect of any trusts set up by the Will
- Advising on the Trust Registration Service
- Advising on specific issues that may need to be considered in the administration.
Full estate administration service
Our clients often wish us to handle the entire estate administration for them. This means that our team will deal with everything, so you do not have to take on any of the work yourself.
Our probate lawyers will ensure the administration goes as smoothly and efficiently as possible, with the aim of removing any worry or stress for you.
The full estate administration service can include the following:
- Identifying the legally appointed executors or administrators and beneficiaries
- Advising in respect of any trusts set up in the Will
- Accurately identifying the type of Grant you will need to confirm your authority and advise on the steps to obtain this
- Obtaining the relevant documents and information required to apply for the Grant
- Advising you on Inheritance Tax Matters and reliefs and if the estate is liable to Inheritance Tax calculating the tax due
- Advising on funding of Inheritance Tax and steps that may be taken to reduce the tax.
- Preparing the application for the Grant and completing the relevant HMRC forms
- Making the application to the Probate Court on your behalf
- Obtaining the Grant of Probate or Grant of Letters of Administration
- Collecting the assets, including sales where appropriate
- Dealing with the sale of any property
- Payment of debts, including any balance of Inheritance Tax
- Payment of legacies
- Distributing bequests to the beneficiaries named in the Will or entitled to inherit under the Rules of Intestacy
- Settlement of Income Tax affairs to the date of death
- Settlement of the Income and Capital Gains Tax affairs for the period of the administration
- Agreeing the Inheritance Tax position and obtaining clearance from HMRC
- Preparation of Estate Accounts
- Final distribution.
Bespoke probate and estate administration support
Some clients wish to handle part of the estate administration themselves but want help with particular parts of the process, such as obtaining the Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration, dealing with HM Revenue & Customs and calculating the amount of Inheritance Tax payable.
Our Bury St Edmunds probate service is flexible, and we offer as much or as little support as you require. As well as offering a full service as above, we can also take on individual matters and provide bespoke support and assistance as needed.
Intestacy
When someone dies intestate, i.e. without leaving a Will, the estate administration can be more complicated, so expert legal advice can be particularly valuable. The deceased’s assets will pass in accordance with the Rules of Intestacy, which are set out in law.
Our legal team in Bury St Edmunds can take on the entire process of administering an intestate estate or alternatively help with specific areas where you need assistance, such as obtaining the Grant of Letters of Administration or dealing with Inheritance Tax.
Our intestacy expertise includes the following:
- Applying for the Grant of Letters of Administration
- Advising on Inheritance Tax and HM Revenue & Customs reporting requirements
- Providing advice to the estate’s administrators
- Advice relating to statutory trusts that may arise under the intestacy
- Full estate administration service for intestate estates.
Inheritance disputes (Private Wealth Disputes)
Where a dispute arises over someone’s estate after their death, it can cause extensive difficulties if it is not addressed quickly and efficiently. Someone may have been expecting to receive more from the estate or they might be unhappy at the way the executor or administrator is handling the winding-up process.
Our contentious probate solicitors in Bury St Edmunds take a pragmatic approach to resolving inheritance disputes and will always work to find an amicable solution without delay.
By stepping in early, it is often possible to resolve issues before the situation escalates and positions become entrenched. Our team are expert negotiators and are usually able to agree to a resolution without the need for court proceedings, which would generally be lengthy and could drain the estate of funds.
Our Private Wealth Disputes lawyers can help with the following:
- Grant of Probate disputes or Letters of Administration disputes
- Will disputes
- Claims under the Inheritance Act 1975
- Executor disputes or administrator disputes
- Trust disputes.
Why choose our probate solicitors in Bury St Edmunds?
Our Bury St Edmunds probate service offers:
- We are a team with combined decades of specialist probate and estate administration experience.
- We offer a friendly, caring and supportive service
- We deal with all manner of cases, from the fairly straightforward to highly complex multi-jurisdiction estates
- We offer an initial fixed-fee consultation followed by a written report
- We work closely with you and aim to keep you informed every step of the way
- Our flexible approach means that we can deal with the whole of the administration of the estate or just those parts you feel you need assistance with
- We are clear and upfront on the costs involved and offer pricing options to suit you.
Meet our Bury St Edmunds Probate team.
Our probate and estate administration expertise has been independently recognised, including by the following organisations:
- Highly rated for Personal Tax, Trusts and Probate by The Legal 500
- Highly rated for Contentious Trusts and Probate by The Legal 500
- Our Bury St Edmunds and wider team include members of:
- The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)
- Association of Lifetime Lawyers
- Association of Tax Technicians.
Our probate and estate administration legal fees
Our firm likes to take a flexible approach to our legal fees wherever possible and provides various cost options for you to consider. For example, we can offer a time-spent hourly rate cost option, or a fixed-fee cost option depending upon the circumstances of the estate.
More information about our probate pricing can be found here.
There may be external disbursements payable to third parties, such as Probate Court fees, Land Registry fees and Statutory Advertisements.
Arrange an initial consultation with our probate solicitors in Bury St Edmunds
We offer an initial consultation with one of our experienced probate lawyers to discuss your situation and how we can help. Following this meeting, you will receive a reporting letter of advice setting out the probate process and the roles and responsibilities of an Executor/Administrator. This can be in person or via Microsoft Teams.
Our fees for this consultation and reporting letter will be in the region of £650 – £1,000 plus VAT.
You can get in touch at your local Bury St Edmunds office or use our online enquiry form, and a member of the team will contact you.