Advice on Probate and bank accounts

Just to add to this, I'm well into the process now and it's a doddle, and the solicitor fees would have been money for old rope. Very very old frayed rope.

Now, to be fair this is a very simple estate but even so every single question that is asked is first of all very straightforward , eg it's in English not legalese , but more to the point, they are questions that only the executors or family members would know the answers to so all your highly paid solicitor* will do is ask you those questions "how many surviving siblings are there" for example is the type of question or "what is the deceased's name" or other such tough questions, you'd tell them and they would fill in the form for you. For several thousand pounds consideration.

Edit: As Tom999 has suggested if you work on the pdf form you can enter and change details if you make a mistake and when happy print out a perfect form.

I'm also doing the estate valuation online, easy for me as the answer to nearly every question is zero or nil ! But the key point is it's just like tax self assessment in that you can add details as you go leave it and come back another day. And even if the answer isn't zero but requires some detailed investigation, that isn't something the solicitor will know they will have to ask you.


* most likely a trainee I suspect.

Flugelhorn, That sounds better than entrusting the original will to the post. Did you need to make an appointment or just turn up and hand the package of documents in?

AnotherJoe wrote: »

Flugelhorn, That sounds better than entrusting the original will to the post. Did you need to make an appointment or just turn up and hand the package of documents in?

I just turned up - (Leeds) - there were notices about "queuing along the left hand side of the room" but I was the only person there.

AnotherJoe wrote: »

Thanks looks like I'll be making a trip soon ! Notwithstanding registered post , I know things still go missing.

I know, felt much happier handing it over myself.

I also got a copy certified by local solicitor for £5 to keep in case ... well just in case!

Got me thinking about how I must have got copies of my Father's will certified 20 years ago, then I remembered nabbing solicitor who wrote the will at Father's funeral and getting him to do the necessary (he was a relative, didn't just have a random solicitor turn up at the funeral ). Then got sad as remembering that he, and lots of others there at the time, are no longer with us.
Oh well ever onwards - today am going to be scanning some old slides I found at Mother's house - lots of memories