Probate Assistance Near Me
When you search for probate help near you, what you really want is someone you can trust to handle it properly. I am Ade Oduyemi, and I have spent 35 years doing exactly that for families across Surrey, South London, and throughout England and Wales.
✓ 35+ Years Experience
✓ Fixed Fee Guarantee
✓ No Hidden Costs
What Probate Actually Involves
When someone dies and leaves behind property, savings, or investments, someone has to apply for a grant of probate, the legal authority to deal with the estate. After the grant, the real work begins: identifying every asset, valuing it, calculating any inheritance tax, settling debts, and distributing what remains. Across Surrey and South London this matters more than in many parts of the country. Surrey is the second most expensive county in England and Wales after Greater London, and families in London and the South East now pay around 45 percent of all the inheritance tax collected nationally. For most estates here, the family home alone is enough to make a grant necessary and to bring inheritance tax into play. I take over the whole process for you, wherever the estate sits.
Signs You Could Use Professional Help
In my experience, most families benefit from professional help when any of these apply:
- The deceased owned property in their sole name
- The estate may exceed the inheritance tax threshold
- There are assets held with multiple institutions
- There is no will or it is being disputed
- You are the executor and not sure where to start
If even one of those applies, it is worth having a conversation. There is no obligation.
What I Handle for You
Wills and entitlement. I review the will and confirm legal positions.
Asset identification. I track down and value every asset as at the date of death.
Inheritance tax. I calculate liability, submit HMRC forms, apply reliefs, and arrange payment.
Probate application. I prepare and file the application and handle any queries.
Debt settlement. I place statutory notices and settle all debts from the estate.
Distribution. I distribute the inheritance and provide full estate accounts.
Asset identification. I track down and value every asset as at the date of death.
Inheritance tax. I calculate liability, submit HMRC forms, apply reliefs, and arrange payment.
Probate application. I prepare and file the application and handle any queries.
Debt settlement. I place statutory notices and settle all debts from the estate.
Distribution. I distribute the inheritance and provide full estate accounts.
You Deserve Help You Can Trust
Most families I work with come to me feeling overwhelmed by the process. I take over entirely, handle everything from the application to the final distribution, and keep you informed throughout.
START YOUR PROBATE APPLICATION TODAYWhat It Costs
Fixed fees from £1,880
- Fixed fee quoted after your initial consultation, based on the specific circumstances of the estate, so you know exactly what you are paying before you commit
- Disbursements (external costs like court fees and search fees) are additional and itemised clearly, with no surprises
- Timescales depend on the estate: the grant itself typically takes 8 to 12 weeks, while full administration can take 6 to 12 months for more involved estates
- No hourly billing. The fee I quote is the fee you pay. I do not charge by the hour, and there are no hidden extras
Why Families Choose Me
Personal Service Throughout
You deal with me directly, not a team of assistants. One point of contact from beginning to end.
35 Years of Probate Experience
Successfully administered hundreds of estates ranging from £500,000 to £5 million across England and Wales.
Fixed Fees, Agreed in Advance
Know exactly what you will pay upfront. No hourly billing or surprise charges.
Regulated and Fully Insured
Full professional indemnity insurance and regulatory protection for your peace of mind.
Efficient Administration
I know which forms to file, which institutions to contact, and what information is needed at each stage.
Executor Protection
I help shield executors from personal liability, including statutory advertisements for unknown debts.
How the Process Works
1
Consultation
I review your situation in a free conversation. You tell me about the estate, and I provide a clear quote.
2
Research
I contact banks, pension providers, and insurers to confirm balances and get property valued.
3
Filing
I submit inheritance tax forms to HMRC, arrange payment, and file the probate application.
4
Collection
I collect all assets, place statutory creditor notices, and settle all outstanding debts.
5
Settlement
I prepare final accounts showing every asset and payment, then distribute the inheritance to beneficiaries.
Throughout the entire process, I keep you informed at every stage. You will always know what is happening and what comes next.
What Families Have Said
Feedback from families who have been through probate with me.
The Person Behind the Service
Ade, Probate and Estate Administration Specialist
I have spent 35 years helping families through probate. I know how difficult this time is, and I know that the last thing you need is confusing paperwork and institutional processes that seem designed to slow everything down.
My approach is straightforward: I take over the entire administrative and legal process so you do not have to. I explain things in plain English, I keep you informed at every stage, and I make sure the estate is administered correctly and efficiently.
I work with families across Wallington, Banstead, Cheam, Caterham, Coulsdon, Croydon, Sutton, Epsom, and the surrounding areas of Surrey and South London. I also handle estates throughout England and Wales, because probate does not require me to be physically close to you or the estate. What matters is that you have someone experienced, accessible, and trustworthy handling the work.
I have administered hundreds of estates with values ranging from £500,000 to £5 million. Whether the estate is straightforward or involves complications like inheritance tax, property sales, or disputed wills, my goal is always the same: to get the right money to the right people as quickly and accurately as possible.
If you need probate help, I am here.
BOOK YOUR CONSULTATIONMy approach is straightforward: I take over the entire administrative and legal process so you do not have to. I explain things in plain English, I keep you informed at every stage, and I make sure the estate is administered correctly and efficiently.
I work with families across Wallington, Banstead, Cheam, Caterham, Coulsdon, Croydon, Sutton, Epsom, and the surrounding areas of Surrey and South London. I also handle estates throughout England and Wales, because probate does not require me to be physically close to you or the estate. What matters is that you have someone experienced, accessible, and trustworthy handling the work.
I have administered hundreds of estates with values ranging from £500,000 to £5 million. Whether the estate is straightforward or involves complications like inheritance tax, property sales, or disputed wills, my goal is always the same: to get the right money to the right people as quickly and accurately as possible.
If you need probate help, I am here.
Frequently Asked Questions
I keep hearing about inheritance tax in this part of the country. Is it really more of an issue here?
It is. Families in London and the South East now shoulder around 45 percent of all the inheritance tax paid nationally, even though they are a minority of the population, and the reason is property values. The tax-free allowance has been frozen at £325,000 for years and is set to stay frozen until 2030, while homes across Surrey and South London have kept rising, so more and more ordinary family homes now sit above the threshold. For many estates here, inheritance tax is really a question about the value of the home. I work out exactly where an estate stands and make sure every allowance is used.
Which areas do you cover, and can you help if the estate is not right on your doorstep?
I work with families right across South London and East Surrey, including Sutton, Croydon, Coulsdon, Wallington, Carshalton, Reigate, Redhill, Dorking, and Oxted, and I also administer estates throughout England and Wales. So whether the property and accounts are close to you or spread across the country, it makes no difference to how I handle things. You deal with me directly, and I manage the institutions wherever they are, by post and online. Many of the families I help are executors dealing with a parent’s estate from a distance, and I take the full process off their hands.
There are lots of options for probate help. What makes working with you different?
Two things, mainly. First, you deal with me personally from the first call to the final distribution. Your estate is not passed to a junior or a call centre, and you always have one point of contact who knows it in detail. Second, I charge a fixed fee agreed after a free consultation, so you know the cost before any work begins, with no hourly billing and no surprise charges. I have spent 35 years administering estates across Surrey, South London, and the rest of England and Wales, from straightforward ones to estates worth several million. I take the whole weight off you.
Do I definitely need probate, or can a smaller estate avoid it?
Not every estate needs a grant of probate, but across Surrey and South London most do, and the reason is usually the home. Where an estate includes a property in the deceased’s sole name, or where banks and other institutions hold more than their own threshold, they will not release or transfer anything without a grant. Given typical property values here, from around £440,000 across the South East to over £600,000 in Surrey, the family home alone is normally enough to make a grant necessary. I confirm quickly whether one is needed in your case, and if it is, I handle the whole application and administration for you.
Let's Talk About Your Situation
Whether you are in Wallington, Banstead, Croydon, Epsom, or anywhere else in England and Wales, I am happy to have a conversation about the estate you are dealing with. The initial consultation is free. I will review your situation, explain what needs to happen, and give you a clear, fixed-fee quote. There is no pressure and no obligation. If you decide to go ahead, I handle everything. If not, you walk away with a better understanding of where things stand.
Call me or book a consultation online.
BOOK FREE CONSULTATIONCall me or book a consultation online.