Wills and Probate Colchester Posted by Probate Bureau , 18/06/2019

Wills and Probate Colchester

What is a Will?

A Will is a legal document that details how a person’s possessions are distributed after they pass. Everyone who is over 18 and has assets they want to protect should make a Will, as if this is not done, your estate will be distributed in accordance with the government guidelines (known as the Rules of Intestacy). This therefore means you have no say in who receives your estate.

There are a few important points to remember when making a Will.

If you have children under the age of 18, it is vitally important for you to have a Will. If you die intestate (without a Will) and are a single parent, local authority will decide who has guardianship of your children. This could be a close relative, a distant relative or a local care home. It is important to make a Will, so you can decide to whom you wish to entrust the care of your children.

We often see poorly drafted Wills and Wills which have been made invalid through a lack of legal knowledge. If there is a complete absence of a Will and the deceased had no immediate next of kin, the estate will be distributed between distant relatives such as nieces and nephews or cousins, even when closest to the deceased know that this is not what they would have wanted.

Here at The Probate Bureau, we are a proud member of the Institute of Professional Will Writers and approved by Trading Standards so you can rest assured that we’ll provide you with professional, reliable advice.

What is Probate?

Probate is the legal process of administering a person’s estate after they pass. This involves organising their money, assets and possessions and distributing them out as inheritance to those named in the Will.

How Long Does the Probate Process Take?

Here at The Probate Bureau, we pride ourselves in how quickly we are able to administer estates. A modest estate with no property to sell can be completed by us in 3-6 months. Estates that have property or Inheritance Tax issues or disputes may take slightly longer. When we set up The Probate Bureau, we set a standard – to be half the price and twice as quick as other ‘old-school’ companies. We live up to this high standard, with no loss of quality. Even a simple estate can take many hours to complete and there are many legal and financial disciplines involved in any administrations. We can handle everything for you, giving you the peace of mind that all is dome properly for a set fee.

Will Every Estate Need Probate?

In short, no. Not every estate will need to work through the probate process, especially if it is a relatively small and simple estate. For example, a simple estate would be one where there has only been jointly-owned property and money which will pass on to a spouse or civil partner. In this case, probate will not be needed.

Who is the Executor and What is Their Job?

The person who deals with the estate of the deceased is referred to as the executor. The executor will usually be named in the Will as responsible for dealing with the estate. Typically, the executor of an estate will;

• Gathering any assets, such as money
• Paying any outstanding bills
• Distributing what is left in the deceased's estate, according to their Will

Why Choose The Probate Bureau?

In some cases, it is perfectly possible to handle the probate process on your own. However, you may decide to enlist the services of a trusted probate practitioner to handle the process for you during this time of grief.

Many find that whilst trying to deal with the emotional turmoil of losing a loved one, it’s hard to keep up with the legal process so they turn to The Probate Bureau for expert advice on Wills and Probate in Colchester.

Here at The Probate Bureau:

• Your call will not be answered by an impersonal call centre, any team member who takes your call will have first-hand experience of administering an estate and are fully bereavement trained. They will be extremely sensitive to your needs, understanding that it is a difficult time.
• Unlike most companies, we do not have commission paid sales people. If you would prefer a free, no obligation home visit you will be seen by a director of the company; who will provide you with all of the guidance and information you need, and a trustworthy quote.
• We do not require any money beforehand once you instruct us.
• Our team are very knowledgeable, and we have a proven track record.
• We only deal with the best professional associates.

If you are in need of specialist help or simply need some advice on Wills and Probate in Colchester, The Probate Bureau will be happy to help. We can tell you all you need to know about administering a loved one’s estate. Contact us today on 0808 256 2336 to find out what you should do, and more importantly, what you shouldn’t do before you do anything else.