Estate Administration and Probate

Ward Williams are licensed to provide probate and estate administration services.

What does this mean 

We can save you or your family a lot of time and stress in the event of losing a loved one. There are certain protocols which need to be carried out upon a person’s death. Probate and estate administration is just one of these, but also the most complex, as the executors are required to file legal, financial and taxation information about the deceased’s estate.

However, we can ease this burden, particularly when the deceased was a client of ours, as we will have much of the financial and tax information to hand and are likely to know the next of kin. This can simplify and shorten the process and therefore help to keep the costs to a minimum.

What’s involved in the probate and estate administration process?

The process can be lengthy and complicated and will require the deceased’s personal representatives carrying out the following steps:

• Locating the current will of the deceased;
• Applying for the grant of representation;
• Administering the estate, including liquidating the assets to pay debts and taxes and in preparation for passing to the beneficiaries of the estate;
• Preparing estate accounts;
• Distributing the assets to the beneficiaries in accordance with the will, or the intestacy law if there is no valid will.

To help you understand the whole process we have put together a Guide to Estate Planning.