Probate

Helping you with probate

Doves 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?

Doves 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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Great service from start to finish. Rose is very caring. Bill was patient and kind. Celebrant Sacha was perfect and went above and beyond to tell Wayne's story. Excellent so glad Wayne chose this Funeral Directors.…

Sam Noronha

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Doves funeral went above and beyond and done a fantastic service for my mum . Jennie from the larkfield branch was of great help in putting everything together for us and making mums day memorable The white horses and carriage was amazing Thank you to…

Jason Pratt

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So glad we acted upon the recommendation to use Doves to organise our Mums funeral. At such a distressing time they provided an effortless, efficient and professional service. A big thank you to Rose for her compassion, advice and kindness throughout the whole process, and…

Wayne Masters

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Doves at Maidstone have been so very supportive throughout the funeral organisation, for our Mum, Dorothy Doreen. Mum was our world and Doves made the process so very special. Jackie in the office and Chris, the funeral director guided us through a very emotional time.…

Ann Gibb

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A massive thank you to Karen at Doves in Orpington. At a time that no one expects to happen, Karen was there from day one. The whole process was made easier knowing she was there when needed. From beginning to the very end Karen made…

Ian Boorman

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Jackie in the Maidstone branch went above and beyond to accommodate our requests for a truly personalised funeral. From the beginning, Jackie welcomed us with kindness and compassion, explaining and advising on every step of the process so we could organise a memorable day for…

Gina Hopkins

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Thank you to Rose at Doves, for supporting us through a very difficult time in providing a wonderful send off for our Mum.

Victoria W

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During such a difficult time for our family, your team provided not only professional service but also genuine compassion and care. Every detail was handled with sensitivity and respect, which brought us great comfort. We were especially grateful for Jackie Barlow, who was incredibly supportive…

Maria Skinner

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Karen was very friendly and made us feel at ease with excellent information and suggestions, Bill and his team were very professional and waited after the funeral patiently. The coffin we chose was presented lovely and the Pastor Jill Hardy pretend a lovely service. Doves…

William Johns

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Thank you to Doves and Rose our funeral arranger and Doves staff at the Crematorium on the day of my mother's funeral . I would also like to thank Rose , in particular, for her support up to the day assisting me through the process…

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Thinking about a Funeral Plan?

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Choice Funeral plans enable you to arrange and pay for your Funeral Director Services in advance, which could provide peace of mind to you and your family.

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