Wills and Probate

If a person dies and no WILL is found, it is usually presumed the deceased died ‘intestate’. That is, without a WILL and intestate rules apply. In the absence of a WILL your family and loved ones have to go through a great deal of anxiety, administration work and huge legal cost to establish that they are the eligible relatives to inherit your estate. In addition to that, any relative listed under intestate rules can lodge his/her claim in your estate and may succeed in getting a share in the estate even if you did not like the person in your lifetime. It is also possible that a person is appointed as an administrator of your estate whom you will never appoint.

To avoid all that it is always better to make a WILL while you are alive – that way you make your own decisions about who will inherit your estate. You can choose to benefit your favourite charity, a friend or a remote relative who may not be included otherwise.

At Lawwiise Lawyers, we help you prepare your Will so that you can avoid the common pitfalls associated with making a DIY Kit Will or dying without a Will.

Probate

Probate is the process of proving and registering in the Supreme Court the last Will of a deceased person. When a person dies, somebody has to deal with their estate.

It is usually the executor of their Will who administers the estate and handles the disposal of their assets and debts. In order to get the authority to do this, they usually need to obtain a legal document called a 'Grant of Probate'. Give us a call. We can help you to get Grant of Probate from the Supreme Court and can help you to finalise your loved ones' Will.