Probate - Is It Necessary?

courtenay62

Thank you all for your comments.  So no way round Probate then!   The steps I have taken are:

My savings, investments and bank accounts are all kept up-to-date on a spreadsheet, also full contact details
My main bank account is indeed a joint account
I have an LPA ready
My Will is in the form of an Immediate Post Death Interest trust

As I mentioned earlier, I have completed and printed out a 'dummy' PA1P, using 'snapshot' data from my spreadsheet (also printed out), and left an explanation of the documents and how the figures were arrived at, and that  they could be used for comparison purposes when the time comes to do the real Application.
And it's all on a memory stick, with copy of the Will, and a detailed "What to do when I Die" Word document

CalvinHobs

Just to reiterate what people posted above:

Applying for and probate online is not difficult and costs £300. In mid 2024, I made an online application and probate was granted in 4 weeks.

For me, it was completing the IHT400 (and associated forms) that was complicated and time-consuming. If IHT is payable then this must be done first, in order to get a code fom HMRC to apply for probate.

In your case, you say IHT will not be payable - so it should be straighforward.

The "horror stories" about probate taking many months seem to be where there are questions about the legitimacy and/or condition of the will, e.g. if pages are damaged in any way or it appears pages might be missing.

bluesky75

I found that a solicitor wasnt needed, I went online and paid uner £200 for a full guide and it made it really simple for me.