Fenland solicitors offer helping hand while you cope with trauma of losing a loved one

FOLLOWING the death of a loved one there are many arrangements that need to be made and formalities to be complied with, says Cath Collins of Fraser Dawbarns solicitors.

Once the arrangements for the funeral have been made then often the next thing that people turn their attention to is the financial affairs of the deceased.

If they left a Will giving their instructions about their affairs then this can make life a great deal easier for those left behind.

If they did not make a Will then there are a strict set of rules that apply to their property which must be followed.

In order to sort out their affairs it may be necessary to obtain either a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration in order to deal with these. The necessity to do so will depend on the size of the deceased’s estate.

In order to apply for the Grant it is necessary to prepare and swear an oath, which sets out the details of who is going to administer the estate, and to complete a return to be submitted to HM Revenue and Customs.

You will need to gather together details of all the assets owned by the deceased in order to complete these documents.

Whilst some people are able to deal with these matters themselves others find it either too daunting or too stressful to deal with it and choose to instruct a qualified professional to deal with matters on their behalf.

• Fraser Dawbarns solicitors has offices at 1-3 York Row, Wisbech, and 42 High Street, March. For more information visit either office or call 01945 461456 or 01354 602880.