What is The Probate Network

Julie Draper, Director and Founder of The Probate Network tells the story behind the creation of the business.

Like so many businesses there is a personal story behind the launch of a new venture. For me, The Probate Network was motivated by a tragic occurrence in my life, the death of my much-loved father.

It was not my Dad’s death that triggered the idea per se, it was the paperwork that followed. My family had to finalise his affairs, a very necessary but tough job to do. Tough because it is emotionally draining but also because some of the paperwork and ‘red tape’ was complex. Mum, Dad’s wife, at the time was still alive. Most of their property and some bank accounts were in joint names and was relatively simple to sort, but there were shares and investments that were in Dad’s sole name. Mum wanted to take on the task of dealing with the paperwork and most of it, pensions, joint bank accounts, the family home, were completed without the need for probate. Even the stocks and shares were eventually transferred by using a Small Estates Form but there was still some doubt as to whether probate was required to make everything ‘official’.

The Inspiration behind the Network

My mum rang some local solicitors and the response she got was alarming. When she said, “I want to talk to someone to see if I need probate”, three out of four times she was simply told, “You’ll need to book an appointment. It’s £XXX per hour.” The £XXX ranging from £230 per hour to £350 per hour. No pleasantries, no justification for the rate or explanation of what could be expected from the hour, and absolutely no opportunity to meet or assess the experience of the probate solicitor.

I can assure you that not every law firm operates like this. My professional background is in legal marketing and I deal with many firms of lawyers. The scenario I describe above would not happen with my clients’ firms but, as in any sector, there are firms that understand good client care and those that simply do not care unless the money is rolling in.

What ‘The Probate Network’ aims to achieve

Our family did not need Probate for Dad’s estate. If mum had taken that appointment, she would have spent £300 to be congratulated on the job she had completed herself. We did however need to organise a Will Trust which was specified in Dad’s will and we took advice from a lovely solicitor who took the time to talk to mum before the ‘meter’ started running.

Legal Advice

The Probate Network was launched to provide people needing probate advice with an option to talk to a  probate solicitor (for free) to ask some initial questions. After the free consultation they may find, like mum, that they can complete the paperwork and possibility the probate process without professional assistance.

The free probate advice is not meant to be comprehensive will leave you armed with three crucial pieces of information; an initial assessment of needs based on their specific circumstances, an idea of likely costs of professional probate assistance and the chance to assess if the lawyer on the end of the phone is someone they feel comfortable with. Probate can be an emotional journey and it is important to have a professional rapport with your lawyer.

You may not need free probate advice because you know you need support and in that scenario the first question is often “How much would a solicitor charge for probate?” so we have made it easy to compare probate quotes from competing legal firms.

Other Services

The Network started by introducing people to probate lawyers. However since the Probate Network launched it’s become apparent that many people require more than legal advice. Cash flow during probate can be difficult as many testamentary expenses such as funeral expenses, Inheritance Tax and probate property insurance, need to be paid upfront and before the money from the estate is accessible. This is where a probate loan can be invaluable and we make it easy to find and compare providers.

We also make it easy to find and compare probate property insurance, probate research services, probate valuers and probate property services.

I know my Dad would be proud!