ESTABLISHING ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

Before applying for a Grant of Representation (probate) from the Probate Registry there are various matters that need to be attended to. In many ways it makes sense to get the funeral over before tackling them, but if you have the time you can start earlier.

One of the priorities must be to establish what the deceased’s assets and liabilities are, as this information is needed for when the application is submitted for probate (or by the solicitor, if you plan to use one).

If the deceased was well organised (having read Chapter 1 of this book, perhaps!) they will have compiled a list of assets which also states where the relevant documents are to be found. Often they will have been kept in a safe or strong box – or perhaps lodged with the deceased’s bank, solicitor or accountant.

However, it is not always that easy. Old people, in particular, have a tendency to squirrel things away in an attic or among a pile of papers at the bottom of a cupboard. Younger people, who assume that they have plenty of years before them, may not have bothered to keep any records at all. It makes sense to persist in your search or an important document may get overlooked.