PA1A

The official probate application form if the deceased did not leave a will.

PA1P

The official probate application form if the deceased left a will.

Parental responsibility

All of the legal rights, powers, duties, responsibilities and authority a parent has in relation to a child and that child’s property.

Partial intestacy

Where there is a valid will, but it does not deal with the whole of the deceased’s estate. The parts of the estate not dealt with are administered according to the intestacy rules.

Pecuniary legacy

A specific gift in a will of a sum of money to a particular beneficiary or class of beneficiaries.

Per incuriam

Relating to the grant of probate, a lack of care in granting it, which may be grounds for revocation.

Personal possessions

Personal property – usually relating to physical items (as opposed to assets, savings etc).

Personal property

The possessions and assets belonging to a person that are not related to real property.

Personal representative

A general term for the person(s) who deal with the affairs of a deceased after they have died; it includes executors and administrators.

Potentially exempt transfer

A gift which is only chargeable to inheritance tax if the donor dies within seven years from the date of the gift.

Power reserved

The ability for an executor to allow the other executors to apply for a grant of probate but to reserve the right to take up their appointment as executor at a later date.

Preferred debt

An unusual kind of debt. The most likely scenario to arise in the administration of an estate concerns wages due to employees or contributions due to pension schemes.

Privileged will

A will made by an individual in active military service, so that it can be made and validly executed quickly. It can be either written or “nuncupative” – which means that it is spoken in front of a credible witness.

Probate

The process of proving that a deceased person’s will is valid and then giving the deceased’s personal representatives the right to deal with their assets and estate. If there is no will, the process of probate ends with the grant of letters of administration.

Probate Registry

An office that issues grants of probate and letters of administration. There Principal Probate Registry is based in London and there are 11 District Probate Registries.

Property

A general term for all the assets and belongings of a person, but in the context of dealing with the estate of a deceased, it usually refers to homes, land and other permanent buildings. This is also more fully referred to as real property.

Property and financial affairs LPA (lasting power of attorney)

A formal document appointing one or more people to make decisions on an individual’s behalf relating to their property and financial affairs. Examples include paying bills, selling property, managing investments etc.