O’Donnell Solicitors offer a helping hand with probate

Visit O’Donnell Solicitors’ website for more information: www.odonellsolicitors.co.uk

Visit them at Uppermill Square or at Appleby’s Business Centre, Grasscroft or call 01457 761 320. 

WHEN you lose a loved one, the rollercoaster of emotions which follows will mean that dealing their estate is likely to be the last thing on your mind. 

At O’Donnell Solicitors, we understand that at this difficult time you need to prioritise your own grief, and we can therefore help to make the administration of their estate as smooth and stress-free as possible.

We are able to administer estates of those who have passed away intestate (where there is no will) or testate (where there is a will) on your behalf.

We can help you by preparing and filing any necessary Inheritance Tax Return and by making any application to the District Probate Registry.

We are able to liaise with banks, insurance companies, utility companies and any other relevant parties on your behalf.

We can also undertake further searches in the event you were unaware of the precise assets which the person who has passed away owned. It is not unusual for there to be the odd dormant bank account or old pension which the deceased had that you were unaware of.

We can transfer any property owned by the person you have lost and can assist you in the distribution of the estate, either under a will or applying the rules of intestacy.

It always important to also consider further planning when we advise you in estate administration.

In some circumstances it may be appropriate to consider when planning your own estate whether any inheritance you have received should in fact be redirected to your own beneficiaries so as to avoid increasing your own estate above the inheritance tax allowances.

This can be under a Deed of Variation but this must be done with two years of the date of death. We can advise you on this and draft any necessary Deeds in this regard.

Our work also extends to dealing with disputes regarding the assets of the deceased. Disputes regarding estates are on the rise.

We can advise you on any potential claims which you may be considering making to challenge a will or intestacy yourself.

This is often the case where insufficient financial provision has been made for you by the deceased or in circumstances where you may believe the deceased did not have the capacity to make a will or was unduly influenced at the time they did.

Conversely, we can also act for the estate in defending any potential claims which may be brought.

If you or someone you know needs assistance in dealing with the estate of someone who has passed away, please feel free to contact us to discuss how we may assist you further.