Our Probate Assistance service is designed to relieve the burden from clients to obtain a Grant of Representation after someone has passed away.

When a person dies, their estate (i.e. property , savings, investments, personal possessions etc) must be dealt with. A Grant of Probate or Grant of Letters of Administration is issued by the Probate Registry to confirm the authority of the executors or personal representatives to administer the estate. Probate is typically required where estate assets exceed £5000 and the process requires a number of key tasks to be completed such as;

Register the death and gather documentation

• The death must be registered, and a certified copy of the death certificate obtained.
• The will (if one exists) must be located and reviewed.
• The executor will need to notify relevant organisations (banks, pension providers, insurers, etc) and begin identifying the assets and liabilities of the estate.

Value the estate and check for Inheritance Tax (IHT) liability

• Before the grant can be applied for, the value of the estate must be determined: assets (property, investments, savings, personal possessions) minus any debts or liabilities.
• If the estate is chargeable to Inheritance Tax, the relevant returns (for example form IHT 400) must be submitted to HMRC and any tax paid before the grant will be issued.
• Even if IHT is not due, the value still has to be declared as part of the application.

Prepare the application for the Grant of Probate

• The executor must complete the correct application form which may be dependent on whether there is a will in existence or not'
• Any original will must be sent to the Probate Registry (or appropriate sealed copies if domiciled overseas) and any required supporting documentation, such as a renunciation if an executor declines.
• There is a fee for applying for the grant which must be paid.

Submit the application and wait for the grant to issue

• Once submitted, the Probate Registry will review the application, request any missing information and, once satisfied, issue the grant of probate.
• Only once the grant is issued can the executor legally deal with many of the assets (for example sell property, transfer bank accounts) unless assets are jointly held and pass automatically.

Administer the estate

• With the grant in hand, the executor can collect in assets, pay debts and taxes, deal with property and investments, and ultimately distribute the estate to beneficiaries in accordance with the will (or rules of intestacy).
• The executor also needs to keep accurate records of their actions, potentially report income or gains for the estate, and be aware of any ongoing tax liabilities (for example tax on rental income or capital gains).

What's included in the BTWC Probate Assistance Service?

The service includes:

• The preparation of the application for the Grant based on the estate information and values provided by the Executor(s)/Administrator(s). We will also arrange for this to be submitted to the Probate Registry once signed.
• Completion of an inheritance tax account, if required, and submission to HM Revenue and Customs.
• Calculation of any inheritance tax due on submitting the account.

Where the BTWC Probate Assistance Service adds value to you as an Adviser

Given this complexity, here’s where a specialist probate assistance service (like ours at BTWC) supports your clients and enhances the value of your own estate-planning or advisory recommendation.

• Mitigating risk for executors – Executors often take on significant personal responsibility. A professional service helps ensure that required tax filings, valuations and forms are correctly completed and submitted, reducing exposure to error or challenge.
• Simplifying the process – We guide executors step-by-step so that the process flows and delays are minimised.
• Providing specialist tax and procedural expertise – Especially when an estate has IHT issues, overseas assets, trusts, or complex valuations, our service complements your advisory role.
• Enhancing client service – By incorporating probate assistance as part of the broader estate-planning or financial-advice proposition, you can offer a “complete lifecycle” service from plan, to death event, to estate winding-up. This strengthens your client-relationship, adds an extra layer of value and positioning.
• Saving time and resource – For many executors (who are often also dealing with personal bereavement), outsourcing the technical probate tasks means fewer distractions and faster resolution of the estate.

How much will the service cost?

Every estate differs and so we offer a fixed fee quote based on the bespoke circumstances of the estate.  Once a fixed fee has been agreed and accepted, we will detail this in a Letter of Engagement.

Factors that have an impact on the level of fee we charge include:

• Number of reliefs to inheritance tax being claimed in the inheritance tax account e.g. Transferrable Nil Rate Band, Residence Nil Rate Band.
• Number of gifts made by the deceased in the 7 year period.
• Complex inheritance tax calculations.
• Availability of Business Property Relief and/or Agricultural Property Relief.
• An issue with the Will which need to be addressed prior to or part of the application for the Grant.

If additional work comes to light after the fixed fee has been agreed, additional fees will be payable.  In these circumstances, a fixed fee quote will be provided for work.

Final thoughts

For estate planners, mortgage advisers and financial advisers, partnering with a reputable probate assistance provider like BTWC enables you to offer a complete solution — covering not only the design of the estate plan at will instruction stage but also the completion of the estate when death occurs. By doing so, you add additional value, reduce risk for your clients (and their executors) and strengthen your professional proposition.

If you’d like to explore how we can integrate our probate assistance service into your client journeys, or how we can work collaboratively with you and your team, please do get in touch. We’d be delighted to discuss how this partnership can support your clients and enhance your offering.