During the course of the pandemic, there has been a considerable backlog of probate applications at the Probate Registry. This backlog was actually an exacerbation of a situation that has been ongoing since 2017. The reasons are not that simple to explain. Staff shortages at the Probate Registry and other complications during the pandemic are understandable, but these should have […]
Update on Probate Registry Delays
What Happens to Someone’s Bank Account When They Die?
When a person dies, the personal representative (PR) takes responsibility for the management of the deceased person’s estate which includes money, possessions and property and will also be responsible for the closure of bank accounts. If the PR has been named in a will they take on the role of the executor. How to find the bank account information of […]
Who is Your Next of Kin?
Most people tend to think that the term “next of kin” means someone closest to them in their family – their spouse or civil partner, parent, child or other relative. Legally, however, this may not always be the case. This apparent contradiction is the subject of this blog. When is your next of kin of automatic significance? If you haven’t […]
New Flat Fee For Probate But Processing Time Is Much the Same
Probate is the legal right to deal with another person’s property, money and possessions after they have died. There are only certain people who are entitled to apply for probate. Who can apply depends on if there is a will present. If there is a will, executors who have been named in it may apply. If there is no will, […]
An Introduction To We Pay Funeral Fees
We Pay Funeral Fees is a service provided Curtis Legal Ltd where we provide families with a simple, interest free & transparent service which allows them to pay for the funeral of their loved one. The Process Our specialist advisor will explain everything in simple terms and will confirm immediately if the estate is eligible to have the funeral fees […]
What Could Happen to Your Assets if Your Lose Your Life to COVID-19 Without a Will?
Most of us have already had our lives dominated by the incessant news about the global COVID-19 pandemic, but there are a number of deaths that have without reasonable notice inflicted families. After all, no one really thought a virus allegedly derived from bats could do so much damage to the human population. But it has and swiftly too. One […]
Can I Sell the Deceased’s Property to Pay Inheritance Tax?
Paying Inheritance tax (IHT) is not always a straightforward matter, particularly if the amount due is more than you, the executor, have available to pay. If the estate left in the will is more than £325,000, then 40% of any amount over this threshold will need to be paid to HMRC. It doesn’t matter whether the estate is property only, […]
Do I Have To Act As An Executor If Named In a Will?
Administering a relative’s will can be a traumatic experience, but it’s not a role you are forced to do, even if you have been appointed to take on the task by the deceased relative in his or her will. There is a process available if you want to withdraw your rights to take on this task. It’s called renunciation and […]
Check Carefully For a Will When a Loved One Dies
We often think that we have to make a will at sometime or other so that we can be sure that our assets don’t get into the wrong hands once we have died. It seems that in some cases making a Will hasn’t had the effect one would expect it to have. Most law firms admitted in a National Will […]
UK Ministry of Justice Proposed Increase in Probate Fees Scrapped
Some people may be wondering why they haven’t heard any more about the proposed rise in probate fees which was part of the Government’s plans to increase revenue for the Ministry of Justice by £185m annually. This should have taken place last April but the Brexit impasse appears to have held up the decision. Just recently, the British government has […]
How to Escape Inheritance Tax the Legal Way
What is inheritance tax? Inheritance tax was first introduced in 1986. It is a tax that needs to be paid on the property or cash of some people after they die. Currently, the rate is set at 40 percent of all assets that exceed £325,000, so it really only applies to those who leave significant wealth behind when they die. […]
Storing Your Will So It Can Be Found
Often, when a will is written, the last thing the person whose will it is wants is relatives or potential beneficiaries to shuffle through draws and cupboards looking for a piece of paper which will tell them whether they are a beneficiary or not. However, you might think you should conceal it away from prying eyes, but you do not […]