If you have lost a loved one, it will be an upsetting and stressful time for you. If you have been assigned the role of personal representative for your loved one’s estate, it will be even more so. As a personal representative, you have legal responsibilities which must be fulfilled by you, whether or not you are grieving for the one you have lost. At Andrew & Andrew we have been established for over 70 years and have vast experience in all areas of probate. We can support you through this stressful and difficult time by handling your personal representative tasks for you. We are also available for other issues such as writing wills, for example.

What does a personal representative have to do?

If you have been named as a personal representative for a deceased person’s estate, then it is your duty to ensure that the estate is settled according to any will that has been left, or to intestacy rules, where a will has not been made. The first thing you will need to do is to apply for a grant to carry out this role. In some simple estates, where there aren’t many assets, it may not be necessary to obtain a grant. However, it is far more usual that one is required. At our firm we have expert probate solicitors Portsmouth who will be able to advise whether or not one is required and to arrange the necessary paperwork if it is.

Once you have the grant, the next thing that needs to be organised is what the value of the estate is. All assets will need to be collated and any outstanding debts or taxes will need to be paid. This can be a drawn out process that can be frustrating and tiresome for those who are grieving, so having our probate solicitors Portsmouth to help you will ease the burden immensely.

After the debts and taxes are settled, the estate can then be divided as per the will that has been left by your loved one. If there wasn’t a will made, we can follow the intestacy rules to ensure that it is distributed in accordance with the law. Again, this could be a testing time and is not something that a person grieving normally wants to have to try and navigate their way through without the help of a legal professional. Our professional and highly experienced team will make this process a lot easier and bearable for you.

What next?

If you require the support of probate solicitors Portsmouth, why not give us a call here at Andrew & Andrew ? We have been practising for many years and it is our experience and expertise that has left many clients content and kept our practice thriving. We understand that you will want a compassionate and caring service; our aim is to provide both in abundance, alongside an efficient and expert approach. Simply call us to discuss your specific needs and to find out how we can help you in your situation. We will tailor our service to you and hope to bring some comfort to you by taking the legal load off your mind.