Practical guidance from Simon Jenkins, Director at Curtis Legal.
When someone dies intestate with no traceable relatives, their estate becomes bona vacantia and passes to the Crown. Here is how that process works, and who can still make a claim.
Read more →Premium Bonds must be cashed in, not transferred, and remain eligible for prizes for a year after death. ISAs can keep their tax-free status during administration. Here is how both work.
Read more →Executors must correctly value shares for probate, decide whether to sell or transfer them, and account for capital gains tax. Here is how the process works in practice.
Read more →The loser usually pays the other side’s costs in a contested will claim, but probate disputes have long-recognised exceptions. Here is how the costs risk actually works.
Read more →An EPA made before October 2007 is still valid, but it never covers health and welfare decisions. Here is how it compares to a lasting power of attorney and when it must be registered.
Read more →Named executors can apply for probate without all of them acting at once, using power reserved, but once probate is granted they generally have to make decisions jointly.
Read more →Most people applying for probate in England and Wales in 2026 receive their grant within 16 weeks of HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) receiving…
Read more →Applying for probate in England and Wales means proving you have legal authority to deal with someone’s estate. In short, you work out whether a…
Read more →To notify banks after a death, tell each bank the person held an account with as soon as you can, either through the free Death…
Read more →To notify the DVLA when someone dies, use the free Tell Us Once service to cancel the driving licence automatically, or tell the DVLA directly…
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