Advice on When to Use a Probate Specialist

Adv ice on W hen to Use

A Probate Specialist

by Dr Edgar Paltzer

ADVICE ON

WHEN TO USE A PROBATE SPECIALIST

A probate specialist is a professional such as a solicitor or accountant who can be hired to act as the executor of a will. There can be good reasons for using a probate specialist, but in some cases it might be easier to appoint a family member instead.

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Cost of Probate Services The cost of probate services can vary, but typically will be somewhere between 1% and 5% of the total value of the estate being managed, plus taxes in some jurisdictions. Some charge an hourly rate, while others charge a fixed fee based on an estimate of the volume of work required.

Reasons to Employ a Specialist If there is any reason why the execution of a will might become complicated, it can be worth spending the money on a specialist rather than placing additional stress on a grieving family member. Examples include administering an estate with an income where taxes may be due, cases where dependants were omitted from the will intentionally but might make a claim, cases where foreign assets or property form part of the estate, or if the deceased died intestate.

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More details about being the executor of a will can be found by visiting the blog of Dr Edgar Paltzer.