Intestacy Services for Beneficiaries & Administrators
Dealing with the estate of a deceased loved one can be a time-consuming and challenging process even when there is a legally valid Will.
We can conduct a Will search to check the UK’s largest Wills database, writing to law firms near to the deceased’s last 3 known addresses. If the deceased had moved and / or not advised anyone of the Will in storage, this can show that we have checked before dealing with the Estate as intestate.
When someone dies without a valid Will (intestate) matters can become even more complicated and protracted. As the Administrator of the estate of someone who died intestate, there are a number of likely unfamiliar tasks that you will be presented with carrying out under the laws of intestacy. It is vital that the process is completed accurately and properly as the administrator will legally be personally liable for errors or omissions.
Being granted Letters of Administration, is one of the first steps that you will need to take in order to have the legal authority to deal with the deceased’s financial and other affairs and this alone can be daunting to anyone outside the legal profession. Not only will you be required to demonstrate that you have the necessary authority to apply, you will need to:
- Value the estate. Identify and value all assets including property and belongings
- Submit an application for the Grant of Letters of Administration
- Place advertisements to creditors
- Pay any estate liabilities
- Submit an Inheritance Tax return to HMRC
- Locate all entitled beneficiaries
- Prepare Estate Accounts
- Obtain any necessary Indemnities
- Make distribution
Once Letters of Administration have been granted, you’ll need to sell any assets forming part of the estate as well as settle any outstanding debts left by the deceased. You’ll also need a family tree in order to ascertain all eligible beneficiaries. Failure to identify beneficiaries can lead to you being personally liable for their share once the estate funds have been distributed. DIY genealogy is therefore not recommended.
Dealing with an intestacy is a daunting prospect with countless pitfalls and the potential for personal financial risk. This is where we can help. We can provide or procure the best assistance that you need at this difficult time.
Our intestacy services are not a one-size-fits-all approach – we will create a bespoke service for you based on either assisting with the whole intestacy process or individual elements of it that you are not comfortable with handling yourself.
Speak to one of our friendly specialist advisors today for free, no-obligation advice.
Intestacy Services for Legal Professionals
We can provide a wide range of services to the legal profession in intestacy cases, no matter how complex the estate may be.
We can conduct a Will search to check the UK’s largest Wills database, writing to law firms near to the deceased’s last 3 known addresses. If the deceased had moved and / or not advised anyone of the Will in storage, this can show that we have checked before dealing with the Estate as intestate.
If you have an intestacy case but no eligible beneficiary to instruct you, we can assist in locating a statutory heir, avoiding Bona Vacantia and ensuring that your firm retains the case – risk free – our fees for such services are negotiated with the beneficiary once located. We call this service our free Administrator Search.
You may also have a client and be acting on their instruction, but how can you be sure that they are actually eligible to administer the estate? Don’t rely on a client’s own understanding of their family structure – the reality is often far more complex than they are aware.
We can build and/or verify a full family tree to ensure that all eligible beneficiaries are accounted for and can also arrange quotations for beneficiary insurance, protecting your firm and your client from any risks associated with beneficiary claims arising after distribution of the estate. Find out more about our free Administrator check.
If the family think they know all the beneficiaries then we would recommend for us to check the information they provide. We would always advise to not rely on anecdotal family history or DIY genealogy. See what we can offer your firm with our free Family Tree Check.
If you have identified beneficiaries but are unable to locate them – we can help you to locate them wherever they may be in the world – if the beneficiaries cannot be located for some reason, then we can offer Missing Beneficiary Insurance to cover the liability should they turn up at a later date.
We can also offer options in terms of searching for any UK assets belonging to the estate in order that sufficient due diligence has been undertaken to check for assets in the estate, along with asset valuation and disposal if required – we can help you to liquidate assets while obtaining the best possible prices for property and other assets.
If the estate includes overseas assets, we can also provide assistance valuing and disposing of them.
We can also offer a Will search to check and confirm that there isn’t a Will and that you are definitely dealing with an intestacy case.
We provide a bespoke service – after all, no two estates are the same. We can assist with any area of intestacy that your firm is unable to handle in-house.
Let us assist you in providing the best possible Private Client services.
Speak to one of our experts today for a free, no-obligation consultation.
