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Wills and probate: how the Library can help

Material on wills and probate, including precedents and guidance on procedures, is available from the ICAEW Library.

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Dealing with wills and probate can be a complex and sensitive area of practice, requiring careful attention to legal and procedural details. The ICAEW Library & Information Service supports ICAEW members, ACA students, and other entitled users by providing access to a wealth of resources in this area, including precedents and guidance.

Model documents from our third-party databases

The ICAEW Library subscribes to specialist databases which provide regularly updated model documents relating to wills and probate. Below are examples of documents we can email to ICAEW members, ACA students and other entitled users.

Will drafting — precedents and model clauses
Forms and example clauses to assist you in drafting various types of wills, including simple wills, mirror wills, and more complex wills involving trusts and specific bequests.
Obtaining the grant — forms and precedents
Precedent documents (including various affidavits) covering a wide range of scenarios and circumstances which may arise during the process of obtaining the grant of probate.
Administration of the estate — forms and precedents
Various forms and precedents pertaining to estate administration issues such as intestacy and estate transfers.
Inheritance tax — forms and precedents
Forms and precedents for calculating and reporting inheritance tax as part of the probate process.
After-death variations — forms and precedents
Precedents for creating deeds of variation to alter the distribution of an estate after death.
Contentious matters and litigation — forms and precedents
Forms and precedents for dealing with contentious matters (such as misunderstandings or clerical errors), as well as for initiating and managing probate-related litigation, including claims for family provision and disputes over the validity of wills.

Contact the Library enquiry team on +44 (0)20 7920 8620 or email library@icaew.com to request documents or get help with research. The service is free for ICAEW members, ACA students and other permitted users.

eBooks

The Library & Information Service also provides access to a number of eBooks covering wills and probate as a benefit of membership. Some of these include model documents. Please log in to access these titles. If you are unable to access an eBook, please see our Help and support or contact library@icaew.com.

Exclusive Private client: wills, trusts and estate planning 2024
  • eBook
  • 2024
  • Lesley King
  • College of Law Publishing
Provides a comprehensive introduction to the legal and taxation implications arising from estate planning work for clients within the private client department of a solicitor's practice.
Exclusive Private client practice: an expert guide
  • eBook
  • 2016
  • Laura Slater
  • Globe Law and Business Ltd.
Broken into a series of direct and insightful articles from a broad range of legal and financial experts in the private client sphere, the guide outlines the most important legislative and case law developments and considers their practical impact. Articles also address some of some tricky and related areas that private client solicitors should know about, such as investment strategies, farming law, and litigation.
Terms of use

You are permitted to access, download, copy, or print out content from eBooks for your own research or study only, subject to the terms of use set by our suppliers and any restrictions imposed by individual publishers. Please see individual supplier pages for full terms of use.

Books in the ICAEW Library collection

In addition to the above resources, the collection of the ICAEW Library & Information Service includes a range of print books which cover wills and probate. Some of these contain model documents. Recent titles available from the Library include:
Wills, administration and taxation law and practice, 14th ed.
  • Library book
  • 2024
  • L. King
  • Sweet & Maxwell
This book provides comprehensive practical guidance on various legal matters relating to will drafting, probate and taxation. Includes worked examples to illustrate key points.
Williams, Mortimer and Sunnucks on executors, administrators and probate, 22nd ed.
  • Library book
  • 2023
  • A. Learmonth, C. Ford, J. Evans-Gordon (eds.)
  • Sweet & Maxwell
A guide to the law relating to personal representatives, grants of representation and the administration of estates after death. It covers various topics, including the forms of probate, the devolution of assets and claims on personal representatives, the rules on family provision, and the distribution of assets.
Drafting trusts and will trusts: a modern approach, 15th ed.
  • Library book
  • 2023
  • J. Kessler, et al.
  • Sweet & Maxwell
An in-depth guide to best practice when drafting trusts and will trusts, written in a straightforward, modern style. The work aims to help practitioners to make the best succession planning judgments through the use of the correct wills and trusts. Includes a range of precedents.
A practical guide to administering estates and obtaining probate in England & Wales
  • Library book
  • 2023
  • S. Christie-Carmichael
  • Law Brief Publishing
A guide to the practical and effective administration of estates in England and Wales, aimed at trainee solicitors, general practitioners and solicitors who don't normally deal with estates.
A practitioner's guide to wills, 5th ed.
  • Library book
  • 2023
  • L. King, K. Biggs, P. Gausden
  • Wildy, Simmonds & Hill Publishing
This book provides practical guidance on drafting, interpreting and executing wills, as well as related issues such as inheritance tax liability. It includes specimen clauses and model wills.
Digital assets and probate: a practitioner's guide
  • Library book
  • 2023
  • J. Normington
  • Wildy, Simmonds & Hill
An exploration of the challenges and legal considerations surrounding digital assets in probate, offering practical guidance for practitioners on advising clients, drafting wills, administering estates, and mitigating risks. Includes draft clauses and model documents.
Drafting trusts and will trusts in the Channel Islands, 3rd ed.
  • Library book
  • 2023
  • J. Kessler, P. Matthams
  • Sweet & Maxwell
A guide to the principles of Jersey and Guernsey trust law, covering both lifetime trusts and will trusts. Aims to enable practitioners to interpret and understand existing trust settlements and to draft new ones with confidence. Includes several precedents.
A practical guide to estate administration and crypto assets
  • Library book
  • 2022
  • R. Marshall
  • Law Brief Publishing
This book examines the practical aspects that one must consider when administering crypto-assets as part of the estate of a deceased individual, set against the broader legal and technological backdrop. It covers the tax implications for estates holding crypto-assets, as well as the AML and compliance issues which may arise when dealing with such assets.

Further titles

To find out how you can borrow books from the Library please see our guide to borrowing books.

You can obtain copies of articles or extracts of books and reports through our document supply service.

Bloomsbury Accounting and Tax Service

Eligible firms have free access to Bloomsbury Professional's comprehensive online library, comprising around 80 titles from some of the country's leading tax and accounting subject matter experts. Find out who is eligible and how you can access the Accounting and Tax Service.

Exclusive Trusts and estates 2024/25
  • eBook
  • 2025
  • Chris Erwood, Iris Wünschmann-Lyall
Annual guide to the UK tax system related to trusts and deceased estates, providing worked examples and tax tables. This edition has been updated in line with recent legislation up to Finance Bill 2024/25, changes to HMRC guidance, and recent case decisions including Harrison v HMRC, 2023 UKUT 00038 TCC.
Exclusive Wills
  • eBook chapter
  • 2024
  • Accountants Legal Service
This chapter explains the legal requirements for drafting a will and guides practitioners in advising clients on its key elements.
Exclusive The duties of legal representatives
  • eBook chapter
  • 2024
  • Accountants Legal Service
This chapter outlines how to ascertain who is the legal representative of an estate on death, the extent of the legal representative's powers, and their initial duties. It also outlines the points which the legal representative ought to consider if either they or a client are appointed an executor or administrator of an estate.
Exclusive Executorship and trusts: materials
  • eBook chapter
  • 2024
  • Accountants Legal Service
Section containing several forms and precedents relating to executorship and trusts. Includes multiple will precedents, as well as a precedent form of renunciation, deed of disclaimer, and form of receipt and discharge.
Exclusive The distribution of the estate
  • eBook chapter
  • 2024
  • Accountants Legal Service
This chapter covers the personal representative's role in distributing assets and winding up the administration of the estate. It also addresses potential delays and factors that may lead the distribution of assets to be altered.
Exclusive International succession laws
  • eBook
  • 2024
  • Mark Bridges, David Way
  • International Succession Laws
Practical A-Z looseleaf providing information on international legal, tax and succession systems by country.
Exclusive Wills, probate and post-death issues
  • eBook chapter
  • 2024
  • Rachael Brown
  • Personal Tax Planning
Two chapters providing efficient personal tax planning advice related to wills and probate.
Exclusive Will precedents
  • eBook
  • 2023
  • Leon Pickering
  • Will Precedents
A guide to the most commonly encountered issues that arise in will drafting, providing a collection of precedents.
Terms of use

You are permitted to access, download, copy, or print out content from eBooks for your own research or study only, subject to the Acceptable usage terms.

Useful links

Support for probate accredited firms
  • ICAEW
Practical guidance for probate practitioners, including the latest regulatory updates, helpsheets, and compliance information.
Probate resources
  • ICAEW
There is a wide range of useful resources available for our ICAEW probate accredited firms.
Probate News
  • ICAEW
Probate News is a regulatory communication produced by ICAEW's Professional Standards Team. On this page, find all available issues of Probate News e-newsletters, plus recent articles and latest probate technical guidance and best practice information, communicated in monthly issues of Regulatory and Conduct News and other ICAEW communications. We email our relevant regulatory contacts when a new issue is released.
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