My accountfrequently asked questions
- What is prob8?
- What are your two services?
- Are you any good?
- What information will I need?
- What happens after I submit the application form?
- Can you always help?
- What should I do if I think one of the above applies?
- Who will handle the work?
- How will I be able to communicate with my lawyer?
- What happens to the information I give you?
- How will I know how far you have got dealing with the administration?
- How much will it cost?
- Will I have to pay your fees personally?
- What will you do for the fee you charge?
What is prob8?
'Probate' is a term commonly used when talking about applying for the right to deal with a deceased person's affairs (called 'administering the estate').
At prob8 we have developed two unique online estate administration services which allow you direct access to your individually appointed lawyer who will ease you through what can be a complex process at a difficult time.
We have achieved this by creating this easy to use website, which incorporates the latest security protection. Once you have decided which of our services you wish to use, you will be guided through the registration process which will provide you with a unique log-in identity.
What are your two services?
We have developed two different services depending on the level of involvement you wish to have in the estate administration process.
For those who wish to hand the entire process over to a dedicated specialist estate administration lawyer, you should choose the Prob8 Premium Service. All you need to do is register with the service and we will send you everything you need to package all the deceased's papers up and post them to us. We will then take care of everything for you from start to finish.
For those who wish to handle the majority of the estate administration themselves but need help with the probate application itself, then you should choose the Prob8 Fixed Fee Service. Once you have registered online, you will gain access to our easy to use, secure online administration application form, where you can apply for probate in the comfort of your own home.
Are you any good?
Prob8 is a specialist estate administration website created by Whitehead Monckton, a firm of solicitors based in Kent which has been in practice for over 225 years. We are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and have been handling estate administration for as long as we have been in practice. We have a specialist team of dedicated lawyers who do this work day in and day out. We consider ourselves to have one of the best teams of estate practitioners in the region with an exceptionally high level of client service satisfaction.
What information will I need?
Whichever service you choose, you will need to collect together all of the important legal and financial documents relating to the deceased.
If you are using the Prob8 Premium Service you will need to collect all the relevant papers together and then post them to us. We will take it from there. If you use the Prob8 Fixed Fee Service you will input all the relevant information into our fully interactive online submission form. You will be able to save and log-out of the system at any time so you do not have to complete the form in one go. You will also be able to log-in and make as many changes to the form as you need to before it is submitted to us. We have also incorporated a very handy task bar which tells you how much of the form has been completed at any time.
What happens after I submit the application form?
Once you have completed the online application form we will review what needs to be done in order to administer the estate. You will receive an immediate e-mail notification advising you that we have received the application form and are reviewing its contents.
Can you always help?
Unfortunately the answer is no. In some circumstances we may not be able to offer you assistance. The most common are:-
- All of the assets are outside England and Wales;
- The value of the estate is so low that it would be possible to wind up the affairs without having to obtain a grant of probate; or
- Most or all of the assets are held in the joint names of the person who has died and someone else who is alive and legal title to the assets has automatically passed to the surviving owner.
What should I do if I think one of the above applies?
Even if you think one or more of these factors may be present we would still recommend that you submit the details to us using our online service so that we can review the position and let you know.
Who will handle the work?
Very simply, a fully qualified and specialist lawyer. Assuming we are able to help, we will contact you with details of the lawyer who will be appointed to assist you regardless of which service you are using.
How will I be able to communicate with my lawyer?
We are happy to use whatever method of communication suits you. More commonly this is by telephone (0800 804 6015), e-mail or letter but we occasionally get asked about carrier pigeons and smoke signalling!
What happens to the information I give you?
For Prob8 Premium Service clients, once we have received all the papers we have asked for we shall then be able to start the first stage of the administration process, which is the valuation stage. Thereafter it is difficult to be precise about what will happen for the simple reason that every person’s affairs are different and therefore each estate administration must proceed in its own way depending on what needs to be done. However, your appointed lawyer who will advise you about what needs to be done and how long it is likely to take.
For Prob8 Fixed Fee Service clients, we will draft the probate application papers and e-mail drafts to you for your approval. Once you have approved them, we shall send you the final papers for you to sign.
How will I know how far you have got dealing with the administration?
A particularly unique feature of prob8 is that you will also have secure access to your own estate administration progress pages, which will tell you which administration stages have been completed and which remain to be dealt with. You will also be provided with comprehensive financial information advising you of the valuations we have been given, the monies we have successfully collected in and the liabilities that have been paid.
How much will it cost?
For the Prob8 Premium Service, this depends on the value of the estate being administered. Our fees for providing this service are designed to be calculated in a clear, simple and easy to understand way. We charge 1.5% of the value of the estate; more details about our fees are available here.
Also, it is important to bear in mind that we do not charge anywhere near what your high street bank will charge. Not only do the banks charge percentage fees typically around 4% – see the table in our 'fees' section. They will also charge you for extras such as filling out tax returns, fees for payments to each beneficiary and sometimes fees per asset realised etc.
For the Prob8 Fixed Fee Service our fee is fixed at £300 + VAT and disbursements.
Will I have to pay your fees personally?
For the Prob8 Premium Service, the answer is usually no. The way most estate administrations work is that we will collect in all of the deceased’s assets. The money we recover will be paid in to our client account. This money does not belong to us but to the estate. As and when our fees come to be paid, they are usually deducted from the monies we hold in the client account. In this way, you will not need to pay the fee yourself; you will simply be advised when the fee had arisen and the amount involved.
For the Prob8 Fixed Fee Service, you will need to pay the application fees at the time of making your application.
What will you do for the fee you charge?
For the Prob8 Premium Service please see the complete service ». For the Prob8 Fixed Fee Service we shall apply for a Grant of Probate on your behalf.