Solicitors managing probate valuations across multiple properties coordinate by instructing a single RICS-accredited valuation firm to assess each property at its open market value as at the date of death, in strict compliance with Section 160 of the Inheritance Tax Act … [Read more...]

Probate valuation compliance in England is governed primarily by Section 160 of the Inheritance Tax Act 1984, which requires that all assets forming part of a deceased estate are valued at their open market value as at the date of death. This obligation applies to both … [Read more...]

Probate valuations for rural or agricultural properties are more complex than standard residential valuations because they involve multiple asset classes, specialist legislation, and reliefs that do not apply to ordinary estates. A rural estate may include farmland, … [Read more...]

To register a death in the UK, you will need the medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD), issued by the attending doctor or a medical examiner. In most cases, you will also be asked to provide the deceased's birth certificate, marriage or civil partnership … [Read more...]

When someone dies in the UK, you are legally required to register the death with the local register office within five days in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, or within eight days in Scotland. Once registered, the government's Tell Us Once service allows you to … [Read more...]

In the UK, the responsibility for registering a death falls on the closest available relative of the deceased. If no relative is available, the duty passes to someone else who was present at the death, the occupier of the premises where the death occurred, or the person … [Read more...]

Probate is the legal process by which a deceased person's estate is administered and distributed according to their will or, where no will exists, under the rules of intestacy. It grants the appointed executor or administrator the legal authority to collect assets, … [Read more...]

To find a will after someone dies, start by searching the deceased's home for physical documents, then check with their solicitor, bank, or any will storage service they may have used. In many cases, the will is held by the person or firm who drafted it. If those … [Read more...]

A will and a letter of wishes are two distinct legal documents that work alongside each other during estate administration. A will is a legally binding document that determines how your estate is distributed after death, while a letter of wishes is a non-binding … [Read more...]

Coping with grief while managing estate administration means finding a way to carry out practical, legally significant tasks at one of the most emotionally difficult points in your life. The honest answer is that it is genuinely hard, and there is no single approach … [Read more...]