In some circumstances if you wish to deal with the estate of someone who has died you will have to apply for letters of administration, instead of probate.
You have to apply for letters of administration if:
There is no valid Will
There are no executors named in the will
The executors cannot or are unwilling to act
If there is a valid will, you can apply for letters of administration if the person who died left all of their estate to you in the Will and
the executors are not named, or cannot act. The rules around letters of administration can become complex and taking advice from a specialist firm of solicitors is advisable.
If there is no valid Will, and you are the next-of-kin, you can apply to be an administrator in the following order of priority:
The married partner/ civil partner of the person who has died
The child of the person who has died
The grandchild of the person who has died
The parent of the person who has died
The brother or sister of the person who has died
The nephew or niece of the person who has died
Another relative of the person who has died
For advice on applying for letters of administration in Blackpool and Fylde Coast click here or call 01253 629300.