Solicitor vs DIY Probate

When someone you love or care about dies it is a very emotional time. Whilst you are still grieving you have to also think about dealing with the administration of their estate. 

If the deceased person left a Will then those named as Executors will be responsible for administering the estate. If there is no Will then the Rules of Intestacy will apply and the people who take on the role to administer the estate are called Administrators.

Administering an estate can involve a significant amount of legal, administrative and tax work (relating to inheritance tax). This is both time consuming and complicated.

Many people appointed as an Executor / Administrator know the deceased person well and often think that they can proceed with administering the estate themselves. Great – no solicitor fees. However, just because you know a person will does not mean you are aware of everything within their estate and if you are acting as an Executor / Administrator you can be held legally and financially liable for any errors made.

There is no limit to the financial liability that an Executor / Administrator could face if you fail to carry out your duties correctly or fail to pay off any outstanding debts, even if these mistakes are genuine. Any outstanding payments or claims that come to light after the administration had been completed would then need to be covered personally by the Executor, not by the Estate. As such the financial implications of getting things wrong can be huge.

Our probate solicitors at Johnson Astills have a wealth of knowledge and experience dealing with the administration of estates. They are here to support you throughout this difficult time and can take the stresses of dealing with the estate off your shoulders. You can relax in the knowledge that your loved one’s estate is being dealt with by our experts and that all steps to ensure every asset and liability is dealt with are taken.

Instructing a solicitor to assist with the administration of the estate will mean that there will be costs incurred. At Johnson Astills our costs are determined on a case by case basis and are proportionate to the assets and complexities within the estate.

Here at Johnson Astills we have specialist solicitors who can advise you in relation to probate and estate administration. Johnson Astills are experts in Wills & Probate and if you would like to speak to a solicitor in the department please call our Leicester office on 0116 255 4855 or our Loughborough office on 01509 610312.