Probate

Helping you with probate

James Hawes & Goodchild Funeral Directors is working with the National Bereavement Service (NBS), a not-for-profit organisation, to assist and support customers and their families. NBS provides practical advice post funeral to help when dealing with legal issues, many of which may be unfamiliar.

Probate is a legal term which means the official proving of a will. You ‘apply for probate’ to have the legal right to deal with someone’s land, property, money and possessions, in other words their ‘estate’.

If the person that has passed away has made a will, they will have appointed an Executor, and may have even identified a legal firm to deal with the probate. Fortunately in most cases the process is simple and straightforward. We can help if you need guidance on DIY probate. If there is no will it can be a little more complicated and the will is resolved according to the Rules of Intestacy.

How to apply

To apply for probate you make the application to the Probate Registry and this gives the Executors named in the application the authority to act in the administration of the estate of the deceased. There are a number of stages to go through when dealing with the administration process and it can vary depending on where you are in the UK.

NBS can help guide you through all of this, call them free on 0800 0246 121 Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm, Saturday 9am to 1pm or visit them at www.theNBS.org where you’ll find more useful information. 

Useful links:

Applying for probate

Intestacy – Who inherits when there is no will?

Dealing the estate of someone who has died

Valuing the estate of someone who has died

Stopping a probate application

Cremations

We can assist you in every step of the funeral and cremation arrangements so please ask us about any queries you may have.

Cremations

Our pricing

Funeral prices vary depending on the type of ceremony you would like for your loved one. There are many options to choose from to make it unique and special.

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Planning ahead?

It is now really easy to plan ahead, making a huge difference by easing the burden on your family when the time comes, so they can focus on the arrangements.

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Need advice?

James Hawes & Goodchild Funeral Directors can assist you in every step of the funeral so please don’t hesitate to ask us about any aspects or queries you may have.

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Latest Reviews

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The level of service received here was incredible. I had no idea on what to do but Tony was amazing, he came round my house on several occasions as I was really struggling with the loss of my dad. He just got what it was…

Harriet Kite

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We were very happy with Alison who arranged everything and was our contact before the funeral day, and also the funeral director on the day and her whole team

Tracy Cushion

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It was an extremely difficult time and Alison and the team treated myself and my family with dignity and respect, they literally took care of everything Thank you.

Karema Edwards

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The staff, especially Ceanne at James Hawes & Goodchild funeral directors, Well Street, Hackney were professional yet very caring. From our first visit & up to the funeral day they handled all the arrangements efficiently & kept us updated throughout the process. This was a…

Tracy Jenkins

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From the start to the finish of the funeral process was perfect, Ceanne maid feel relaxed and welcome and put us at ease the attention to detail was phenomenal she kept in contact all the way through even up until the day before the funeral,…

Alan McManus

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Thank you Alison at the Highams Park branch for guiding us through the process of arranging the funeral service for my father. She was kind and sympathetic, providing a coffee, which was a nice touch that helped us to relax. I have never arranged a…

Sue Tuhill

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What a wonderful service these guys provided when my Mum passed away recently with their amazing caring ways. I particularly liked that they came to my house and that I didn't need to visit the funeral parlor.

Shaz Tarleton

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James Hawes & Goodchild funeral home in Hackney looked after our mum two years ago and most recently our dad. They handled arrangements so well and we felt we were in safe hands at such a difficult time. Deanna was amazing and really put us…

Shenneth Brereton

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James Hawes and Goodchild (Hackney) looked after our dad, and we are so grateful with the service we had. We primarily dealt with Donna and Deanna, however the entire team that we met were lovely. We were met with a lot of empathy, and at…

M Devlin

Google

We would Strongly recommend to anyone who has lost a loved one. The staff at James Hawes & Goodchild Funeral Directors in Well Street Hackney, have gone way above & beyond their call of duty to help me & my family get my Dad's funeral…

james stanley

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Call 020 8527 1508 visit branch or arrange a home visit