This covers administering deceased estates, advising on wills, lifetime succession planning, trusts and lifetime gifts, handling intestacy and resolving contested claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. An England practitioner drafts wills and trust deeds, prepares deeds of variation, applies to the Probate Registry for a grant of probate or letters of administration, values assets, submits Inheritance Tax returns to HM Revenue & Customs, deals with Land Registry transfers, pensions and bank accounts, and conducts litigation in the Probate Registry, county courts or the Chancery Division where disputes arise. The process is driven by tax rules in the Inheritance Tax Act 1984, trust instrument terms and the nature of title to property.
What a solicitor handles in these matters
Solicitors manage estate valuation, IHT computation and returns, trust and settlement documentation, land title transfers at the Land Registry, and applications for a grant of probate or letters of administration. They also handle claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 and related civil proceedings, and coordinate with executors, trustees, financial institutions and HM Revenue & Customs on complex multi‑asset or cross‑border estates.