Probate

Helping you with probate

Ashdown Funeral Services 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?

Ashdown Funeral Services 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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Claire at Ashdowns in Blacken is an absolute diamond. She has helped me with both my parents funerals, with the most recent being last week. The service from Claire from start to finish was amazing, Claire is so friendly and helpful & always on the…

Julie Smith

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Ashdown Funeral Services Review January 2026 My Father passed away in November 2010. My Mother also wished to use Ashdown Funeral Services, when the time came. Unfortunately, Mum passed in November 2025. Now, we heard that Edward and Rachel Micallef, who were running Ashdown’s, and…

chris green

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The most warming service at such a difficult time for our family. Claire and family and the whole team looked after us with such care from start to finish. Everything was smooth from the organising to running the funeral day and nothing felt like a…

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From the moment we walked into Ashdowns to discuss arranging my mum's funeral I knew we were in the right place. Claire was amazing, she listened to us and from the first discussion we were on the same page on what we wanted for my…

Lorraine Deane

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I cannot begin to say how impressed and how amazing Kelly at Ashdown in belvedere was when my dad Derek passed away..Friendly,professional, understanding, reassuring & fantastic advice and always there when you needed advice or guidance during these upsetting times..She put a smile on my…

darren ricketts

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We can’t thank Ashdown Funeral Services enough, especially Kelly, for all their kindness and support during such a difficult time. Kelly was incredibly understanding and patient, explaining everything clearly and guiding us step by step through the arrangements. Everything was handled with such care and…

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Kelly was such a comfort throughout the whole process, making a difficult time so much less stressful. Toni and her team on the day of the funeral were amazing, helping everything run seamlessly - I can't thank Ashdowns enough for the help, support and hard…

Maddy

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My family and I would like to express a huge thank you to everyone at the team at Ashdown’s Belvedere. A few months ago (July 2025), my family and I used Ashdown’s services to bury my mother (rest in peace). From the moment we met…

Emmanuel B

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Would just like to thank and highly recommend everyone at Ashdown Funeral Services at Sidcup. Especially Claire for being so supportive and caring, and for going above and beyond with making my dad’s funeral so special for our family. Every request my mum had for…

JAY INNES

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Amazing place when you are at the worst time of your life

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Thinking about a Funeral Plan?

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