DIY Probate

Flugelhorn

Worried_of_wakefield said:

Pretty shocked! anticipated a nightmare and a big bill, £275 to process and no solicitor to deal with. Fingers crossed!

Must say I felt the same when I did it (only 5 years ago but still on paper etc) - came away from dropping it all off at the probate office thinking "is that it?" . Local solicitor did the oath for £7 (think that is no longer needed now) and then the bits of paper duly appeared. 

Pennylane

Flugelhorn said:

Worried_of_wakefield said:

Pretty shocked! anticipated a nightmare and a big bill, £275 to process and no solicitor to deal with. Fingers crossed!

Must say I felt the same when I did it (only 5 years ago but still on paper etc) - came away from dropping it all off at the probate office thinking "is that it?" . Local solicitor did the oath for £7 (think that is no longer needed now) and then the bits of paper duly appeared. 

I think most organisations have now made their forms much easier to complete.  When I was doing the Probate form I found it so easy when they said for example,  “enter box a, enter box b, deduct box b from a “ etc.  I certainly wouldn’t pay a solicitor to fill my forms in.  

Beano456

I recently went through the DIY probate and the only problem I had was Royal mail losing the original Will, despite it being sent special delivery. So as someone else said make sure you make a copy even if it's taking a photo of each page on your phone. I completed the Lost Will form including all the evidence and was just about to post it when RM confirmed the lost item had now been delivered - 3 weeks later!

Flugelhorn

Beano456 said:

I recently went through the DIY probate and the only problem I had was Royal mail losing the original Will, despite it being sent special delivery. So as someone else said make sure you make a copy even if it's taking a photo of each page on your phone. I completed the Lost Will form including all the evidence and was just about to post it when RM confirmed the lost item had now been delivered - 3 weeks later!

Glad it turned up! I was dealing with probate nearly 5 years ago and things have changed a bit now - I hand delivered all the "essential" documents to the probate office and got receipt from them. Also got a certified copy of the will done by solicitor before I took the original - cost me £5

heartman

I'm completing the new PA1P form but can't find an answer to this question so wonder if anyone else has encountered this.

On page 10 , it says

"Only answer this question if no executor to the will is applying"
2.13 Was the person who has died or any of their relatives legally adopted in or out of the family

   Yes 
   No, go to question 3

2.14 Please name the legally adopted relatives.......


I am an executor and I am applying , so do I go straight to Question 3 not ticking any of the boxes in 2.13 ?
( therefore not answering the question , like it says above the question 2.13 )

or do I tick 'No'  ( which answers the question after all ! ) ?

I'm the adopted son of the deceased and executor , so just want to make sure that I don't need to complete section 2.14 ?

I don't think it's very clear at all.

Thanks in advance.

Flugelhorn

You are an executor so don;t need to answer that question

heartman

Flugelhorn said:

You are an executor so don;t need to answer that question

Thanks Flugelhorn , so I presume I go straight to question 3 then..  Ideally it would have said above 2.13
"If you are an executor to the will and are applying then go to Question 3"    or similar in plain english.

Flugelhorn

I agree - not clear. I seem to remember one form wanting to know how many aunts and uncles and cousin  the person had and whether they were alive or dead - I do a lot of genealogy and a cousin asked me to help with this - I still ended with 8 who I didn't know about . Having done lots of counting it transpired the question was only relevant if the individual had not had any children, which he had

Worried_of_wakefield

Update, probate granted, 17 days the whole process!!

kipsterno1

Thanks for updating.

That was extremely quick and just shows that the is no clear system as to how cases are dealt with.