Probate advice and support

We aim to provide a stress free Probate service to support you through these difficult times. Whether you are the Executor of a Will, a close family relative or friend, we can provide you with clear practical advice on what to do following the death of a loved one.

Our Probate advice team will listen to your particular circumstances, to ensure we are best placed to provide you with advice and support covering:

• The immediate next steps that you need to take.
• An explanation of Probate to help you understand if Probate is required to administer the Estate.
• An explanation of Estate Administration and the legal responsibilities and the liabilities.
• Options and choices available to you when deciding what to do next.

Our initial advice to establish your particular circumstances is free. If Probate is then required, we can provide a complete Probate and Estate Administration service for you, or you can deal with Probate yourself.

If you choose to do Probate and administer the Estate yourself, you should be prepared to commit approximately 70-100 hours of highly detailed administrative work over a period of up to 12 months to complete the Estate Administration, Inheritance Tax, Income Tax, Capital Gains Tax and any other legal work.

It’s very important to note that an Executor, a Personal Representative or an Estate Administrator can be held personally financially liable for any loss resulting from a breach of their duty, even if a mistake or mistakes were genuine errors. See Executor and Administrator Duties Explained.

Our Probate Complete Service offers you peace of mind for a fixed fee. When we have provided you with a fixed price written Probate quote for the agreed work, that price will not change unless the original information we are given is shown to be incorrect or circumstances change.

As part of the Co-op Group our values of openness, honesty, social responsibility and caring for others are core to the service we provide.

We offer free initial Probate advice and support, fixed Probate fees will be agreed upfront and we'll avoid using legal jargon wherever possible.

Probate Solicitors and Local Probate Consultants are available in England and Wales only for customers using our Probate Complete Service.

Authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority

Probate Estate Administration in England and Wales is not a reserved legal activity which means that unregulated providers can offer Probate Estate Administration services regardless of whether they are insured, experienced or qualified to provide a full Probate service.

Co-op Legal Services is a trading name for Co-operative Legal Services Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, giving you peace of mind knowing that your Probate affairs are being dealt with by a regulated organisation and by a brand name you know and can trust.

Co-op Legal Services are insured with insurance covering all of our work plus we have protection of client funds under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).

Our team of Probate Solicitors and Specialists includes many members of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). All STEP members are subject to an extensive Code of Professional Conduct, requiring them at all times to act with integrity and in a manner that inspires the confidence, respect and trust of their clients and of the wider community.

Please note that our Probate Solicitors and Local Probate Consultants are available in England and Wales only for customers using our Probate Complete Service. If you don't know if Probate is required, we can tell you.