Once the grant is issuedshares are not a guess.

If a person died intestate, once the application for letters of administration has completed, the administrator, in other words the applicant of the Letters of Administration, must collect in the estate and distribute according to the law, not according to what the family might prefer.

Unlike an executor, an administrator has no Will that names beneficiaries or percentages. You have to determine who is entitled to precisely what share. Unmarried partners, step-children and friends do not inherit automatically.

If there is a spouse and children, the spouse does not necessarily inherit the entire estate. They receive the statutory legacy (currently £322,000), personal belongings, and half of the remainder. The other half is shared between the children, under the Rules of Intestacy.

We can explain the shares, verify the family tree, and where everyone agrees, help with a Deed of Variation. Start with our Online Probate Application and we will come back with a fixed fee for the distribution work.