Covid 19 Update

7th January 2021
Latest news, Uncategorised

Our offices are now open from 9.00 am until 4.30 pm

The following measures are in operation for your safety and ours.

We will only see clients by prior appointment. We ask that no more than two people attend an appointment together.

We will check your temperature when you arrive at the office and ask you to sanitise your hands. If you have a raised temperature we will ask you to leave and advise you to seek medical advice.

Please wear a mask while you are in our office (unless you are exempt from doing so on medical grounds). We may ask you to remove your mask briefly so that we can verify your identity.

Social distancing must be maintained at all times.

Please ring 01865 241814 to make an appointment or email the lawyer who is dealing with your matter:

Sue Whitehead

Chris Wallworth

Bill Short

If you wish to drop off or collect documents, please ring Helen, our receptionist, to let her know when you expect to arrive. If we are busy, she may ask you to delay your arrival for 10 or 15 minutes. Our hygiene measures will apply, however brief your visit.

Coronavirus – Probate

25th March 2020
Uncategorised

If you have recently lost a loved one and need to know whether we have their Will, please email [email protected] or [email protected] or phone 01865 241814 and leave a voicemail. Please tell us the name of the person who has passed away, their address and the date they died.

We will ring you back as soon as we can to confirm whether or not we have a Will and the names of the executors. We regret that we will not be able to release any further information or a copy of the Will until we have seen the death certificate for the person who has died.

In most cases there is no pressing need to deal with probate immediately. You should take the following steps following a death:

  • When you register your loved one’s death, the Registrar will give you information about the Tell us Once scheme, and may help you with it during the registration process. This will automatically notify the Department for Work and Pensions in respect of state pension and benefits, HMRC in respect of income tax, your local council in respect of council tax, and any other government departments the person had dealings with.
  • Arrange the funeral. Your funeral director will advise you on any changes in procedure during the coronavirus crisis.
  • Take a death certificate in to the bank. The bank staff will take a copy and update their systems to note that the person has died and freeze their accounts. If your loved one had accounts with more than one bank, take a death certificate into each bank. Banks are remaining open during the current restrictions on other businesses.
  • If the utility bills are paid by direct debit, there is no need to notify the utility companies yourself. They will be notified by the bank that the account holder has died. That will trigger a condolence letter from the utility company addressed to the executors at the deceased’s house. Please note that the utility company will not chase for payment of any outstanding bills and, most importantly, will not disconnect the supply.
  • If your loved one has a company or work pension, ring the pension provider and let them know that the person has died.

In most cases, when you have done all that, anything else can wait a few weeks without any problem.