Wills and Probate

Wills, grants of probate and estate papers notarised for assets held in other countries.

Witness for Will Signing

In England and Wales, Wills must be witnessed by two independent witnesses; in Scotland, only one witness is required.

Witnessing a Will is a legal obligation. This means that, should the Will ever be called into question, there will be a credible witness to testify that it was signed and witnessed properly. Legally, a witness cannot be a beneficiary of the Will.

If you require the assistance of a Notary Public, regarding the witnessing of a Will, contact John.

Authentication of Wills for Use Abroad

In order to be valid for use in foreign jurisdictions, some countries require that Wills are authenticated by a Notary Public or other authorised person. The document can then be used overseas.

If you require the assistance of a Notary Public, regarding the authentication of a Will, contact John.

Grant of Probate

A Grant of Probate certificate is needed if you are the executor of a Will, and need to deal with the assets, such as money or property, of someone who has died. The certificate proves that the person who holds the certificate has the authority to manage the assets of the deceased.

They can also be used overseas, but will require notarisation.

If you require the assistance of a Notary Public, regarding the authentication of a Grant of Probate, contact John.

Grant of Letters of Administration

A Grant of Letters of Administration is a document similar to the Grant of Probate as it lets an individual manage the estate of someone who has recently deceased, but is used if there is no Will, or if no executors are named in a Will.

This document can be used overseas, but will require notarisation.

If you require the assistance of a Notary Public, regarding the authentication of Letters of Administration, contact John.

Assistance with legalisation (as part of an ongoing matter with us)

The schedule below contains a list of countries which typically accept as valid a document signed, certified or verified in England by an authorised person under English law and which has been Apostilled under the Hague Apostille Convention. John has significant experience in notarising and arranging Apostille against documents for use in these countries, including countries not included that may require embassy or consular legalisation. If you require the assistance of a Notary Public to facilitate this process, contact John.