A phone call from an executor
Someone phones your office. Their mother has died, they are an executor, and the solicitor has said they need a valuation of the house for probate. They are not sure what kind of valuation, what date it should be at, or how long it takes. The keys are with a sibling who lives in another town. The solicitor is also emailing, asking the same questions.
Your office staff want to help, and should. But the call takes time, the follow-up emails multiply, and arranging access with a relative, a solicitor and a neighbour who has a spare key takes several more calls.
Why probate enquiries take so long
- Executors are usually handling this for the first time and need things explained.
- Several people may be involved: executors, relatives, a solicitor.
- Access to an empty property depends on who holds the keys.
- The practice needs the right details, such as the date of death, to prepare.
- Enquiries arrive through different people and are easily duplicated.
Handled well, this is work that builds a practice's reputation. Handled hurriedly, it can feel cold at a very hard time.
What the current way costs
Long calls repeated for each person involved. Office staff stretched between compassionate conversations and the rest of their work. Delays in access for empty properties. And a risk of mixed messages when several family members and a solicitor are each told slightly different things.
| Need | Today | With the enquiry flow |
|---|---|---|
| Explaining what a probate valuation is | Phone call each time | Plain-English page written by your practice |
| Getting the right details | Emails back and forth | Gentle form, with help text |
| Quote and terms | Worked out and emailed | Clear quote and terms from your fee scale |
| Keys and access | Several calls | Keyholder invited to pick a time |
| Keeping everyone informed | Separate calls | One contact record, updates to named people |
The enquiry flow we build
- A page on your website, written by your practice in plain, kind language, explains what a probate valuation is and what happens next, and invites people to call if they prefer.
- A short form collects the property address, the executor's details, the solicitor if there is one, and the details your practice needs, with help text for each question.
- A quote and terms of engagement are produced from your fee scale for the executor to accept online.
- The executor names who holds the keys, and that person receives a link to choose an access time.
- One contact record holds everyone involved, and updates go to the people the executor has named, so nobody is left out and nobody is told something different.
- When the valuation is complete, the report goes to the named recipients, with payment handled the same way.
The basis and date of the valuation, and anything about tax, are for the executor and their solicitor or tax adviser. Your valuer carries out the valuation. The flow handles the arrangements.
A kinder, calmer process
Executors get clear information when they need it, including in the evening. Office conversations can be about reassurance rather than taking down details. Access to empty properties is arranged with the person who has the keys. Everyone involved hears the same thing. Solicitors see a practice that makes their client's life easier, which matters for future referrals.
The same approach suits other sensitive instructions, such as valuations on separation or for a family member moving into care, where the people involved need a little more explanation and a single point of contact.
Does this sound like your probate work?
- Probate enquiries involve long explanatory calls.
- Several family members and a solicitor contact you separately.
- Arranging access to empty properties takes many calls.
- Details needed for the valuation arrive piecemeal.
- Family members have been told different things.