Term
Probate: what the term means
The legal right to deal with a deceased person's property, money and possessions in England and Wales.
The legal right to deal with a deceased person's property, money and possessions in England and Wales.
Probate in practice
Probate gives the executor or administrator the legal right to deal with an estate. Government guidance says you should not make financial plans or put property on the market until you have probate, where it is needed. Some assets, such as property owned as joint tenants, pass automatically to the surviving owner.
The contents of a home belong to the estate, so a house clearance should be agreed with whoever is dealing with it. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different rules.
Source: gov.uk