RECENT CHANGES TO PROBATE LAW TO SPEED UP APPLICATIONS

New legislation introduced on 27 November 2018 will hopefully speed up the process for making applications to the Probate Registry.

Fazia Hussain, a Wills and Probate lawyer at Pictons Solicitors explains “Those appointed as Personal Representatives need to make a formal application, known as applying for Probate, to the Probate Registry as part of their duties to administer the estate. Historically this process can be lengthy and a recent piece of legislation known as the Non-Contentious Probate (Amendment) Rules 2018 aims to tackle this. For example the new Rules no longer require Personal Representatives to swear oaths and “mark” wills which was a process requiring the representatives to attend the offices of a Solicitor other than their own and to pay a small fee. From now on the Representatives will only be required to make a Statement of Truth which hopefully will save time and some cost.

Fazia goes on to say “Administrating an Estate can be a difficult process at a difficult time and usually the Personal Representatives are not legally qualified so simplifying the process is a good thing and some would say, long overdue”

Fazia deals with all aspects of legal work relating to wills, power of attorneys and probate and has rapidly built a reputation for assisting clients during what is usually a difficult time of their lives. Fazia concludes “I enjoy my area of specialism and I look forward to seeing the impact of the new Rules on the Probate process and hope that it can make it a little easier for all involved”.

Fazia can be contacted by email fazia.hussain@pictons.co.uk or by telephone on 01442 229 670.