Probate

Helping you with probate

Walker & Morrell 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.

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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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Need advice?

Walker & Morrell 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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Featured Reviews

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Nicola made this amazing beautiful send off for my dad the company will always be recommended by me they made us proud of the send off they gave him

Desiree Saul

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Exceptional service from the team at Gateshead. Nicola helped us get through a very difficult time when arranging my sister’s funeral. She was helpful, caring and compassionate and was always there to answer any of our queries. Thank you from all the family.

Ann Conroy

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The team really went above and beyond for us and my dad. I felt really supported and updated with things. Natalie our funeral director was in regular contact which made me feel comforted that everything was under control. It is such a hard time for…

Alex Bradley

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Mrrs janet mcpherson funeral 28/07/2026,All the staff was absolutely fantastic from start to finish my mam Janet mcpherson would of been so proud of the hole service that yous give and on behalf of my self keith and me dad Colin mcpherson and the family…

Keith Mcpherson

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Natalie and the team were brilliant in every way from the start to the completion.

Terry O’Neil

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Nicola The family and I just wanted to say thank you so much for your help and support on all you have done You were kind compassionate and caring so much and your support was second to none. You made a difficult situationthat much more…

Allan Hepple

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My dad would have been proud and honoured to have his funeral and cremation arranged by Connor from Walker and Morrell Washington. From the very first moment we met Connor he helped us through this extremely hard time allowing us to talk about what we…

Gillian Bowman

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The Gateshead branch recently looked after our grandma, the service from start to finish was amazing especially from Nicola who kept in contact with the family the full time and took us through the full process. For such a sad and difficult time Nicola made…

Georgia Waddle

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Thank you to Walker & Morrell in supporting myself and my family through the loss of my mother. Natalie was professional throughout, communication was great- just the right amount. I felt my mother was at the heart of everything they did, from collecting her from…

Alison McKenry

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Can't fault the team they are brilliant. The staff are really caring and go that extra mile to make sure your loved one is cared for and provide the best service possible. After the service they contact you to see how your doing. Well done…

mel bays

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