At Boyletts Law, we specialise in all aspects of Probate and Estate of Administration. When a family from the Stapley area of Harlow in Essex lost their father, they were heartbroken and overwhelmed with the amount of paperwork that kept coming through the door.
The family suddenly found themselves responsible for handling the Estate which included property, bank accounts and a much-loved collection of Moorcroft Vases.
Their father had left a Will which named his son as his Executor. The deceased actually had 3 children, however, he had felt that his eldest son would be most suitable for the role of executor. Unfortunately, his son had never dealt with anything like Probate before and was unsure where to begin. The family had already found a buyer for the property and knew that they had to obtain a Grant of Probate before the sale could complete.
The family reached out to us to see how we could assist with Probate and the sale of the property.
How we helped
From the first call, it became clear that the family did not just need legal assistance, they also needed clarity, reassurance, and a steady hand to help guide them through the process.
We arranged a face-to-face meeting at the office and got to work straight away with the following:
- We explained the Probate process in simple, straightforward terms – no jargon, just clear advice.
- We helped the family put together all of the documents that they would need to include all financial assets, pensions, utilities and property information.
- We arranged for a professional valuation of the Estate to include the Moorcroft collection and cash assets. The property sale had been agreed and therefore we could use this value in the application.
- We advised on how to mitigate inheritance tax and completed a tax efficient inheritance tax account to be filed with HMRC.
- We submitted the Probate application on the family’s behalf making sure everything was accurate and complete.
- Unfortunately, a distant relative raised concerns about the Will and we were able to step in and remove this additional stress from the family. We resolved it quickly and calmly without it having to go to court.
We dealt with matters efficiently and promptly and enabled the house sale to go ahead without delay, which eased some financial pressure on the family.
The result
In just under 8 weeks, Probate was granted, and the family were able to carry out their late father’s wishes. The Estate was distributed, and the house sale completes in a further 2 weeks.
The family commented “You were a lifeline. Every question we had you answered. You made a really tough time so much more manageable. We cannot thank you enough”.
Why this matters
Losing a family member or friend is hard enough without the legal process that follows, adding to the emotional strain and pressure.
At Boyletts Law, we’re here to take the weight off your shoulders. Whether your situation is simple or complex, we will handle this it with kindness, clarity and care.
If you are dealing with a loved one’s Estate and not sure where to start, we are here to help.
Reach out for a friendly, no obligation chat. We have helped many families across Harlow and Essex, and we would be happy to help yours too.
If you would like to help with probate please call us on 01279 295047 for a free, initial discussion, or alternatively complete our contact form and we will be in touch.