Probate

Helping you with probate

S Smith & Sons 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?

S Smith & Sons 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

Google

From the very outset Sarah was fantastic nothing was to much trouble always there with a cup of tea/coffee, her staff went the extra mile nothing was to much trouble. For a sad day they made it bearable. Celebrant good did all that we asked.…

John Gilmore

Google

We used Smith & sons for our Mother's funeral in 2021 and we're really happy with their service from start to finish. Sarah Smith is excellent at organising funerals She is very down to earth and easy to talk to you as well as being…

Amanda Aphale

Google

My experience dealing with Smith & Sons was one of warmth, reassurance and kindness. Sarah managed the whole process so well, taking the stress out of a very stressful time, keeping in touch regularly and making sure we knew what she needed from us, and…

LouLa Belle

Google

Recently my mother passed away and I decided to use S Smith & Sons as they had dealt with previous Relatives who had passed. I was so Thankful that I had the pleasure of meeting Sarah. She listened to my request and let me ramble…

Evie Wickham

Much Loved

Very respectful and kind. Made great suggestions. However I was often called the wrong name in emails, I had some flowers on the day that were not for my Mum. And my Mum ashes were released incorrectly. The day was organised, Steven was amazing but…

Amanda

Much Loved

All the staff are very kind, understanding and compassionate....Very Happy to Leave My Dear Mother....In their Loving Hands of S.Smith who will care and look after her...God Bless You Mum, Love and Miss You So Much and Will Hopefully see You and Dad Soon....Ian, Paul,…

IAN BRIDLE

Google

Even though I found the early stages of planning the funeral for my mother incredibly hard, Sarah and the team were very understanding, and even let me arrange things via telephone and email, instead of face to face meetings, which I found overwhelming. In my…

Harriet W

Much Loved

From start to Finish they were very professional,polite,considerate From the moment we walked in to the Edenbridge office Sarah was great and made the Family at ease she a credit to her profession

Anita Jones

Much Loved

I have already left one review but happy to do another. Sarah was the perfect person to see for us when making my father-in-laws funeral she made us feel at ease at such a difficult time.…

Jan Cooper

Much Loved

All the team were lovely and friendly and at the same time very professional. As soon as they came to collect my Mum we all felt she, and us, would be looked after with respect. They helped us put together a beautiful funeral service, Sarah…

Mrs N Forbes

Thinking about a Funeral Plan?

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Call 01732 862 117 visit branch or arrange a home visit