Feb 12 2021

Lodge Brothers Legal Services offer a free no obligation quote

The passing of a loved one can change your world in an instant. In one moment, everything is as it should be, and then within a heartbeat, it can all come crashing down. Sometimes we are prepared for the passing of our loved one in that we know it is coming but it does not take away the impact of that final moment when it actually happens. No matter how mentally prepared you may be, especially when a person has an illness for an extended period, there is always that sense of hope that things will be ok. When that call comes and hope dissolves, you need a support structure in place to help you navigate the unknown road ahead.

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Grieving loved ones, are advised to include, in their support system, a probate legal expert.

When it comes to the legalities associated with the end of life, Lodge Brothers Legal Services probate Guildford, probate Ashford and probate Feltham knows what is required for the executor of an estate and who is responsible for the probate process that authenticates a last will and testament of the deceased person.

Should the deceased have a will in place, Lodge Brothers Legal Services have the training and expertise required to facilitate the court-administered legal process of probate Woking. Even more importantly, when an individual does not have a last will and testament, the process can become significantly more difficult. While families deal with the immense emotional grief which they must face when their loved one passes, Lodge Brothers Legal Services solicitors take care of the legal logistics.

There are 4 steps to the probate process. Firstly, the will, should there be one, has to be proven for authenticity. This is required to make sure that the Will is the most valid and latest version. In order for this to happen, a case is filed at the court. Once the court has validated the Will, the court will be in contact with the relevant beneficiaries and creditors. Before the beneficiaries can inherit assess indicated in the Will, creditors will need to be paid. Thus clearing all debts and outstanding taxes, so that the court can process the remaining assets as stipulated by the Will. At this stage there may be objections raised because of either complicated family dynamics or resulting from the process whereby all debts were settled. Should the debts out-weigh the assets, beneficiaries may not be advised, this may cause financial, and emotions stress for the family. Should the estate be unaffected by the debtors payments, an inventory of the properties and other assets such as jewellery, furniture and other possessions. The assessment covers everything from bank accounts affected by joint-tenancy with rights of survivorship, to distinguishing between probate or non-probate assets and properties.

At the end of the probate process, the assets are distributed according to the instructions found within the Will. The process of executing probate Weybridge and closing an estate can be a long and difficult one and your Lodge Brothers Legal Services attorney will be available for consultation until all details are legally finalised.


Nov 13 2020

Lodge Brothers legal help you provide for your loved ones in the way you wish

Inevitably, life tends to have a way of getting away with us. We leave school as young adults, searching for incomes which will allow us the independence that we so covet. Earning money means we have the power to make the choices about our own lives that feel so important to us at the time. Whether our goals are to grow our careers, or to start a family, independence generally decreases as we become more financially viable. What begins as an endeavour to be the best person that we can be, results in the accrual of material things and people. The car you save for to empower freedom of choice in your life becomes an asset. The type of social interactions which you choose, leads to you meet likeminded individuals and perhaps eventually results in a joining of kindred spirits in matrimony or the like. Families grow, houses are built and the need for a more stable income grows. All of these things that you need to build to sustain your life, become your assets. You have a choice over them in life. So too, do you have a choice over them in death.

Life unwittingly takes hold of us and often, the administration of your life is left at the bottom of the list of things to do. Stats show that 38% of adults living in the UK passed away last year without a will. Your will is your last chance to make voice heard and to have your final choices carried out as you would have done if you were still able. Failing to plan for your estate your estate via your will, you leave a lot to chance. And if you have not lived your life leaving all things to chance, why let it be the case in your death. No one person knows your wishes and desires as well as you do so when you pass away without a will and your estate is then governed by the laws of intestacy which means that everything that you have worked your whole life to attain is now governed by a set of rules enforced by the courts. Only married or civil partners and some of your close relatives are able to inherit your estate under the laws of intestacy which means that the courts may assign your possessions to someone who you had never intended them to.

Lodge Brothers attorneys specialise exclusively in Probate, Wills and Power of Attorney. Probate Guildford is the process, which confirms who will handle a person’s estate after their death and it is important to have, as it is a legal requirement. Probate Feltham is a complicated system that is advisable to be handled by a competent probate attorney. Aspects of the probate Ashford process include, establishing the value of your assets and liabilities, finalising Inheritance Tax, applying for Probate Registry for the Grant of Probate or Grant of Letters of Administration. Lodge Brothers probate Woking offer caring and practical legal advice efficiently and professionally to make your life easier during distressing times.


Sep 18 2018

Wills and probate services

Lodge Brothers funeral services is always here to help. We know how unpredictable life can be on a daily basis and that things happen when you least expect it. This is why we make ourselves available at any time on any day, by phone or email. With 533,253 deaths in Wales and the UK in 2017. The office of National statistics shows that the provisional number of deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending 31 August 2018 was 7,865. Yourmoney.com reports that “Around 60% of UK adults still haven’t made a will, according to new research from Unbiased.co.uk, leaving around 31 million people at risk of dying intestate. If you die without a will your estate will be distributed solely according to intestacy law, which may not reflect your wishes.”


Karen Barrett, CEO and founder of Unbiased, said “It’s clear that many people think they’re just not ‘rich enough’ to need a will. This ignores the fact that a will makes inheritance a far quicker process – do they really want to keep their loved ones waiting longer, when that money might be badly needed? It also doesn’t take into account the complexity of modern families, which intestacy law simply doesn’t address. Children from previous marriages could end up receiving nothing at all.”
At Lodge Brothers, we agree that this is the essential issue surrounding those who pass away without a will and encourage customers who we meet on a daily basis, not to find themselves in the same position as their loved ones who have gone before them. The financial consequences when a loved one dies affects the whole family and especially when there is a young family involved, this can have lasting and irreversible long-lasting effects on the family unit and extended family members. While you may not feel that you are rich enough to have a will, consider what the effects would be on your family should they have to love just one month or one week if you are a weekly paid individual.
At Lodge Brothers we have options to suit every pocket and take pride in extending a helping hand to our hundreds of clients in our local areas. You can find our offices in your local areas simply by visiting our website and searching by location. You will find that we have offices in all locations and we offer additional probate services. For example, should you be looking for probate in Chertsey, Ham or Guildford, simply search probate Chertsey, probate Ham or probate Guildford to find your local branch and contact telephone number or email address. Otherwise you can go to our branch locator search feature, capture your nearest branch, town name of post code, for ease of access to information concerning all services we offer. If you’d like to know a little more about our services, we can send our ‘Guide to Arranging A Funeral’ to your home, or you can view and download a PDF. Click here to obtain.


May 15 2018

Trust Lodge Brothers to guide you in your time of grief

Welcome to the offices of Lodge Brothers Legal Services where our long-standing professional reputation, sustained by our consistently proficient services, guarantees our clients and their families ultimate peace of mind. Lodge Brothers has been assisting families with funerals for over 230 years and it is our personal service which our clients have come to rely on over and above the consistently high levels of quality of legal advice which we provide. Our clients can turn to us for accessible and affordable legal advice in relation to Probate, Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney.

At Lodge Brothers we approach our Probate Walton on Thames services with the same high levels of quality advice and personal investment, as we do with all legal services. We know that when a person finds themselves in need of the services of a Legal firm, often the circumstances which surround this need, are inevitably highly stressful. When people find themselves in these stressful situations, quite often it becomes exacerbated by the fact that one doesn’t always know what to do for the best and make the right decisions.

Notwithstanding, often people do not know what needs to be taken care of, simply because they do not have experience with being in these types of situations previously. It is easy to understand how over-whelming certain life events can be, when someone realises all of the legal requirements involved. Legal compliance is not something that we believe a person should have to face on their own.

That’s why we partner with our clients during these times of excessive strain and guide them through the process. Lodge Brothers has firms across the UK, such as our Probate Weybridge office and its here that you can rest assured that you will always find empathetic professionals to offer you an efficient service when you most need it.

Probate is the process of authenticating a last will and testament and finalising all aspects of the estate of a deceased individual and at Lodge Brothers Probate Guilford, we offer 3 levels of Probate service to suit your personal requirements.  Regardless of which level of legal service you choose, you can be assured that you are receiving the very best especially if you chose our level 3 Gold Probate Service which comes highly recommended and is certainly the most comprehensive of all. Designed to relieve you of the heavy burden you face when dealing with the probate process, our level 3 Gold Probate services ensure that probate is obtained quickly and efficiently.