Whether dealing with non-contentious or contentious probate, we provide a friendly and sympathetic service which aims to ensure that the probate process is conducted smoothly and efficiently. We can assist you in obtaining a grant of probate (or letters of administration in the absence of a will). This is often needed to authorise the person appointed to deal with the estate of the deceased. We also deal with all aspects of the administration of the estate, from the valuation of assets and the payment of inheritance tax to the gathering in and distribution of the assets in accordance with the will or under the intestacy rules.
We also specialise in providing tax advice to executors and administrators and in many cases this leads to significant savings in the inheritance tax bill. We have been able to achieve considerable tax savings in a number of estates by the use of deeds of variation. These are perfectly legitimate tax saving devices and in appropriate circumstances can be used to obtain the benefit of the nil rate inheritance tax band which otherwise might not have been utilised. There are opportunities for post-death tax savings in a number of other situations and our specialist team will be happy to give further advice on this.
Our lawyers are highly experienced and have a proven track record in providing high quality advice in an approachable and sympathetic way in all aspects of probate and estate administration. Our work as one of only two providers of non-contentious legal services to the trust company of one of the major banks provides us with the fullest range of experience in our field and is an acknowledgment of our expertise.
We know that you may be reading this at a difficult time when there are so many matters to deal with. We hope our probate application service will be of help to you.
Our firm has an experienced Probate team who can assist on the death of a loved one. As a general rule Probate is required in order to deal with assets held in the name of the deceased person which exceed £5,000. Probate can be applied for personally but this does require completion of forms and personal attendance at the Probate Registry. We provide a speedy service and liaise direct with the Probate Registry on your behalf.
The service
This service is for cases which do not involve Inheritance Tax considerations and where a deceased person's assets do not exceed the gross sum of £325,000. It is intended to assist with obtaining Probate only.
The Field Seymour Parkes' Probate Application Service is designed to be used when the Executors wish to collect all the information relating to the value of the deceased's assets themselves and simplifies the procedure for obtaining Probate.
The cost
We offer a Probate Application Service for a fixed-fee of £450 plus VAT and disbursements. The disbursements are made up as follows:
Should you require additional assistance in dealing with the estate then we do offer a full estate administration service. As well as dealing with the financial aspects including the calculation of any Inheritance Tax payable, this can also cover practical issues such as registering the death, arranging the funeral, securing and insuring the house, and dealing with the furniture and effects.
Field Seymour Parkes is one of the best known law firms in Reading and has a tradition of service stretching back to the 1870s. Our offices at 1 London Street are next to Duke Street Bridge, very close to the Queens Road car park and easily accessible by public transport. If required we can also visit you at home.