Life after death

At a time when arranging a funeral and contacting friends and relatives is the obvious priority, addressing the legalities of probate may seem an unwelcome task. Nevertheless, if you are the deceased’s executor, your legal responsibilities are onerous. You must locate any assets and liabilities of the estate, deal with the administration according to the law by collecting the assets, determine the identity of the beneficiaries and apply to court for the grant of probate. You will also have to prepare estate accounts, deal with HM Revenue and Customs and defend any litigation against the estate. If you are also a trustee of the will, you’ll have to manage any trusts under it, acting in accordance with various Trustee Acts. To avoid any problems, and to remove the stress, most executors appoint solicitors at the estate’s expense to help deal with the administration. This is a very good move.