What can probate solicitors help with? Andrew and Andrew Solicitors Limited When losing a member of a family, there is often a lot of legal work that comes next. This is often a time to grieve and come to terms with the loss, which is why probate solicitors Portsmouth can help to make a sensitive time much less stressful by taking care of legal affairs. Bereavement is a difficult time in a person’s life, so probate solicitors Portsmouth will aim to work quickly to avoid adding any more problems to a client's already full plate. The grant After a person passes, there is often pressure to obtain a deed known as a grant. In some cases, a grant is not necessary. Probate solicitors Portsmouth will set out immediately to find out whether one is needed, aiming to remove any added complications and get through the process of estate administration much quicker. Probate solicitors Portsmouth are experienced lawyers who will make sure that all matters are dealt with correctly and covered in a discreet and quick manner. The will In the event that a person wishes to create a will before their passing, probate solicitors Portsmouth can also help. A will is a legal document that notes down a person’s wishes for their estate once they pass. Without a will, estate administration often follows intestacy rules, and all property and assets will be left to any number of people some of whom the client may not wish for. Probate solicitors Portsmouth aim to help when creating a will and will advise their clients of the right way to go about it, offering advice from experience on how to have their wishes complied with. Probate solicitors Portsmouth will also inform their clients of the many benefits that accompany creating a will, including being able to appoint executors and trustees, ensuring those they love will benefit, saving their beneficiaries from unnecessary government tax and appointing guardians for young children. Creating a will can also help avoid potential conflict, which probate solicitors Portsmouth will also want to minimise during a difficult time. The executor role When a will is created with the help of probate solicitors Portsmouth, an executor will be appointed. This person will take responsibility for dealing with the estate left behind. This responsibility can often be quite distressing in some instances and complicated, which is where probate solicitors Portsmouth can offer advice and search for documents on their own. Being appointed as an executor means that that person is responsible for locating financial documentation of the person who died, acquiring the death certificate and sending out copies to organisations, opening a bank account, finding out details of any money owed, preparing a detailed list of the property, working out any inheritance tax, preparing documents to send off to HM Revenue and Customs, paying debts, collecting money owed from organisations and sharing out the estate. Due to the sheer size of the list, having probate solicitors Portsmouth on hand will offer the executor some relief. There also tends to be a large majority of legal jargon involved, which may sometimes need to be explained and advised upon. SOURCES: https://a2solicitors.co.uk/wills-probate/probate/ https://www.which.co.uk/money/wills-and-probate https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/family/death-and-wills/dealing-with-the- financial-affairs-of-someone-who-has-died