Estate administration is the process of dealing with a person’s legal, financial and personal tax affairs after they have died.

It involves far more than obtaining a grant of probate (confirmation in Scotland) which is just one element of the process. It means dealing with all of the deceased’s assets (such as property, investments, and personal possessions) and liabilities (such as outstanding debts and estate expenses) before transferring whatever is left to the beneficiaries, but also:

• Notifying beneficiaries and dealing with their questions
• Redirecting post and cancelling or transferring utilities
• Rehoming pets
• Dealing with any Income Tax liabilities
• Advising on the distribution of assets to avoid or mitigate tax liabilities
• Calculating and paying Inheritance Tax where relevant
• Dealing with specialist legal work

These are just some of the tasks that are involved and every estate is different. While some people decide to administer the estate by themselves, this can take a significant amount of time and effort; and it leaves them personally liable for any mistakes made during the process.

Whether their estate is simple or complex, the issues faced with the death of a loved one are rarely straightforward; not least because it involves procedures most of us are not used to dealing with, and at a time when financial matters are the last thing on our minds.

Winks Wills, together with partners, can deliver an estate administration service. Our partners are specialist estate administration service providers in the UK and, like us, they place their clients at the very heart of everything they do.

We are here to make probate and estate administration as painless and effective as possible for you. Our advice and guidance, as with all our services,  is entirely free and without obligation. You only pay for the actual process of probate and administration.

If you’d like to have a chat, call us to make an appointment. We can come to you in the comfort of your own home or you can arrange to see us at our office in Howden.