Many people who are not legal professionals understand what a will is and know something about what this document is meant to do. But few people have a real grasp of what “probate” is. They may understand that it has something to do with the will of a person just deceased but their knowledge may not extend much beyond that.

Probate is the legal process during which a will is accepted as a valid document, the true last testament of the deceased. Someone must have the responsibility of dealing with the final affairs of a deceased person and seeing the process through to the end. An executor is named in a will to deal with “things,” pay taxes due, close bank accounts, and sell property, if required. All debts and expenses are paid before any remaining assets are distributed to the beneficiaries named in the will.

Experienced Help

You will probably need experienced help at this time, especially if the maximum value of property and other assets is more than £15,000. Probate will almost always be required when the value passes this level. If you find yourself in need of probate in Suffolk and you’re acting as an executor of a will, you’d be wise to seek professional advice. There are specialists who can complete the work for you. You can consult with them and pay a fixed fee to cover all the work done on your behalf.

You can also arrange to do the probate work yourself with help from people who are experienced in this process. Executors of wills written with the same company have access to free advisory service. Once you’ve completed as much of the paperwork as you can, you can work with a consultant who will finish the documentation free of charge. As you consider this option, keep in mind that a solicitor or bank official can charge thousands of pounds to complete probate for you.

Write a Will

One important step that you shouldn’t hesitate to take is the writing of your will. While many people believe that they should wait until they’re older before starting this process, the truth is that it’s never too early to start the will-writing process. You can work with professionals who provide this service and benefit from letting the same specialists handle probate procedures as well.

You can even arrange for a representative to come to your home for a free, in-house visit to discuss will-writing services and answer your questions. This may be one of the most important decisions that you make. You should never assume that your assets will be divided between your loved ones. This is governed by specific laws and if there is no will, current law takes control. Without a written will, you’ll have no guarantee that the distribution process will go as you expect.

As you decide who to work with for will writing and probate, look for an indication that the company is a member of the Institute of Professional Will Writers. This will give you peace of mind knowing that they always adhere to the highest standards in the industry.