Personal Law · Executry & Estates

Executry Solicitors Glasgow

Our executry solicitors in Glasgow take the legal and administrative weight of winding up an estate off your shoulders – so you can focus on your family.

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Compassionate, practical support

How we help

Winding up an estate in Scotland

Confirmation

The Scottish grant that lets executors access the estate. We prepare the inventory and application and deal with the court.

Estate administration

Gathering in assets, settling debts and tax, and distributing the estate to beneficiaries – handled start to finish.

Estates without a will

Intestate estates need an executor appointed by the court and a bond of caution. More steps, more rules – we manage all of it.

Executry disputes

Legal rights claims, challenges to wills and disagreements between beneficiaries – resolved firmly and sensitively.

Support when you need it most

Being an executor is a legal role with real responsibilities, taken on at the hardest possible time. Banks freeze accounts, institutions demand paperwork, and the Scottish confirmation process has rules of its own. Most people have never done it before and should not have to work it out alone.

We handle as much or as little as you want – from simply obtaining confirmation to administering the whole estate. You will always know what stage things are at and what happens next.

Clear costs from the start

We explain our fees at the first meeting, before any work starts, and executry costs are normally met from the estate rather than your own pocket. Clear fees agreed upfront, no surprises.

How it works

Winding up an estate, step by step

Take stock

We identify the assets and debts, check the will (or the intestacy position), and confirm who the executors are.

Obtain confirmation

We prepare the inventory, deal with any inheritance tax reporting, and obtain confirmation from the sheriff court.

Distribute the estate

Assets are gathered in, debts and legacies paid, accounts prepared, and the estate distributed to beneficiaries.

Common questions

Executry FAQs

Confirmation is the Scottish equivalent of probate – the court document giving executors legal authority to gather in and distribute the deceased’s assets. Banks and other institutions will usually not release funds without it, other than for very small balances.

A straightforward estate typically takes around 6 to 12 months. Estates involving property sales, inheritance tax or disputes take longer. We give you a realistic timeline at the start and keep you updated throughout.

Not legally, but most executors use one. The inventory must be accurate, tax reporting done correctly, and executors are personally liable for mistakes. For small estates (currently £36,000 or less) the sheriff clerk can assist with a simplified procedure.

The estate is intestate. A court application is needed to appoint an executor, a bond of caution (an insurance policy) is usually required, and the estate is distributed according to the fixed rules of intestacy rather than anyone’s wishes. It is more involved, and legal support matters more.

In Scotland, spouses, civil partners and children have legal rights to a share of the moveable estate regardless of what the will says, and these claims arise surprisingly often. We advise executors on handling claims and beneficiaries on making them.

Let us carry the legal side

A free, unhurried conversation about the estate and what needs to happen. We will take it from there.

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