Co-op Legal Services: Silence!

Lilio8

RAS said:

The one advantage of using a solicitor is that they CAN access funds in accounts to pay IHT before probate is granted.

We ended up using a solicitor purely for this reason, because of difficulties getting an executor to renounce in time, even though they wanted to do so. We couldn't access the required bank accounts, but the solicitor could get the bill paid.

Thank you. 

That's a relief!

Lilio8

Tiglet2 said:

@Lilio8
Have a read of the Gov.com advice on the situation when you can't pay all or some of the inheritance tax before probate has been granted.   

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/applying-for-a-grant-on-credit-for-inheritance-tax

Thank you for your reply.

I found this page https://www.gov.uk/paying-inheritance-tax/deceaseds-bank-account  and it felt hopeful when I read it. It reads

'From the deceased's bank, savings or investment account

You can ask banks, building societies or investment providers to pay some or all of the Inheritance Tax due from the deceased person’s accounts. This is called the ‘Direct Payment Scheme’.

Investment providers can include: 

• National Savings & Investments (NS&I) 
• pensions or life insurance 
• brokers investment firms
• wealth management accounts

You can start this process before you’ve got probate (known as ‘confirmation’ in Scotland). ...'

The last bit, before you've got probate, had not been explained to me and I've been fretting all this time thinking that I needed grant of probate.

tls123

If it had not been explained to you by coop legal even more reason not to trust them I’m glad you starting to get to bottom of it all