WHAT IS A GRANT OF PROBATE AND DO I NEED ONE TO MANAGE MY LOVED ONE’S AFFAIRS?

 Someone you know may have died and appointed you as an Executor in their Will. You may have heard or been told that you need to get on with obtaining a Grant of Probate, but are unsure what Probate is or how to go about getting it.

Applying for Probate gives you the legal right to deal with someone’s possessions, property and money (their Estate) when they die.

In England and Wales the type of Grant required depends on whether the person died with or without a Will.  A Grant of Probate is required if someone has died with a valid Will. A Grant of Letters of Administration is required if the person died but did not leave a valid Will. In both circumstances, however, the application process is largely the same and referred to as