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An executor account is a special banking account that enables the estate’s executors/administrators to gather all of the deceased’s cash assets in one place.

Probate is a word you may commonly hear when discussing the estate and affairs of a deceased person. 

In the majority of cases, you will not need a grant of probate for a joint bank account. The account will pass over to the surviving owner/owners and the deceased’s name will be removed from the account.

Probate fees to increase under a new system could see some pay £20,000 when left estates worth more than £2m by a deceased relative.

Probate and Wills are an expert area of legislation, and within that, is Contentious Probate – legal speak for having a bun battle over an estate.

With expensive care fees becoming more and more of a drain on savings, many couples are now looking into ways to protect their assets.

Do I need a Will? Yes! A Will is a legal document expressing your wishes in regard to the distribution of your estate including property and other assets.

DIY Will friend or foe? “Nearly 60% of adults across the UK have not written a Will” according to research done by Unbiased.co.uk and explained in an article by this is money.

Unfortunately, not taking the proper precautions can lead to a lot of distress, disputes and even court cases in some circumstances.

If you went to school in the UK, then you will know of Charles Dickens and have probably been forced to read Great Expectations at some point.

If the deceased’s estate requires probate in order to administer it, the personal representative will need to apply to the probate court for a Grant of Representation.

Previously we have gone through the PA series of application forms you will need for probate. The PA1 form is the simplest in the process.

Stuart Herd was cut out of £300,000 estate by his dad’s second wife when she decided to rewrite her will after her husband’s death, leaving everything to her own child.

Many people will experience the process of buying or selling a property at some point, it is not always a straightforward process but when selling a property that is subject to probate there is added complication.

A last will and testament should be a valuable asset to the executor as it expresses the wishes of the deceased and should provide them with instructions on how to handle the estate.

Not everyone needs to go through probate as the requirement for probate is not solely dependent on a person’s death but on the assets in their estate.

Something that we see often is a misunderstanding of what a power of attorney is able to do once the person has passed away.

When you have been given the responsibility of being an executor it is important to understand what your role involves, what your duties and responsibilities are and how it will affect you personally.