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Confirmation
We value the estate, prepare the inventory and apply to the sheriff court for Confirmation, for large and small estates.
Find out moreLocal office: 2 Main Street, The Village
Executry solicitors and lawyers in East Kilbride, with a local office in The Village
practical and reliable help when someone has died.
Our executry solicitors help individuals and families in East Kilbride and across South Lanarkshire wind up the estate of a loved one, from registering the death and applying for Confirmation to paying the beneficiaries. Visit us at our East Kilbride office on Main Street, or we can do everything by phone and email. Your initial consultation is free.
2 Main StreetThe Village, East Kilbride G74 4JH
Free initial consultationin person or by phone
East Kilbride and South Lanarkshire
Solicitors and lawyers in East Kilbride for executries, wills and private client work
East Kilbride is the largest town in South Lanarkshire and was Scotland's first new town, designated in 1947. Our East Kilbride office is on Main Street in The Village, the historic heart of the town, where the old Kirkton of Kilbride stood long before the new town was built.
We act for clients in East Kilbride across every neighbourhood, including Calderwood, Greenhills, The Murray, St Leonards, Westwood, Stewartfield, Lindsayfield, East Mains and Jackton, and in the surrounding areas such as Thorntonhall, Busby, Strathaven and Hamilton. Our executry team is part of Simplicity Legal, which has offices across Scotland, including East Kilbride and Glasgow.
Executry is the Scottish name for winding up the estate of someone who has died. It is the Scottish equivalent of probate, and the court document an executor needs is called Confirmation.
Local know-how
Dealing with an estate in East Kilbride and South Lanarkshire
The law is the same across Scotland, but the practical steps involve South Lanarkshire offices and courts. Here is how each one works, and where our solicitors can take the work off your hands.
Registering a death in South Lanarkshire
A death must be registered within 8 days. In South Lanarkshire, most registrations are done over the phone, and in-person appointments are available at the council headquarters in Hamilton. You receive the form needed for the funeral, an abbreviated death certificate and a Tell Us Once reference number free of charge. A full death certificate costs £10 at the time of registration. Our guide on how to register a death in Scotland explains the process. The funeral can then go ahead; our guide to funeral costs and who pays lists the local burial and cremation fees. If the person died in hospital or a care home, or the death was reported to the procurator fiscal, our guides to deaths in hospital or a care home and the procurator fiscal explain what happens.
Confirmation at Hamilton Sheriff Court
Confirmation is granted by the sheriff court for the district where the deceased lived, which for East Kilbride is normally Hamilton Sheriff Court. It is one of the busiest courts in Scotland, so an accurate application matters. We prepare the inventory of the estate on form C1, check every detail and lodge it with the original will. See our guide to which sheriff court deals with Confirmation for the court's contact details. Our guides to valuing an estate for Confirmation and pensions and benefits after a death explain what goes on the inventory.
Council tax on an empty home
If the home is empty and the council tax is the responsibility of the estate alone, South Lanarkshire Council can apply an exemption. There is no time limit while Confirmation is being processed, and it can continue for up to six more months afterwards. After that, an empty property surcharge of up to 200% may apply, so it helps to sell or transfer the property promptly. For rented homes, see what happens to a council tenancy after a death.
Buying or selling estate property
If a house in the estate is to be sold, a Home Report is normally needed before it is marketed. Our conveyancing team can handle the sale, or the transfer of the home to a beneficiary, once Confirmation has been granted. If a beneficiary wants to buy the property from the estate, we can advise on that too. Our guides to selling an inherited house and clearing a house after a death explain the steps.
Court fees for Confirmation in Scotland, from 1 April 2026
- Estate worth up to £50,000
- No fee
- Estate worth £50,000.01 to £250,000
- £351
- Estate worth over £250,000
- £705
Court fees are set by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service and are paid from the estate. Estates worth £36,000 or less can use the simpler small estate procedure.
Practice areas
Our practice areas: executry, wills and private client legal services
We are committed to providing clear advice, with legal advice tailored to your estate and your family across a range of legal services. Ask us to deal with the whole estate or just one legal matter.
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Estate administration
We collect in the assets, pay the debts and tax, prepare the executry accounts and distribute the estate to the beneficiaries.
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Estates with no will
We apply for the appointment of an executor-dative, arrange the bond of caution and apply the Scottish intestacy rules.
Find out more04
Inheritance tax
We work out whether inheritance tax is due, claim the allowances and reliefs available and deal with HMRC. Gifts made in the seven years before the death can change the figures; see our guide to gifts and the seven-year rule.
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Wills, power of attorney and guardianship
Our private client solicitors draft wills and power of attorney documents, and advise on guardianship when a person has lost capacity.
Ask us06
Legal rights and family law matters
We advise on legal rights claims and disputes, and our family law team can help where an estate overlaps with a family law matter.
Find out more
Good to know
How Scottish wills differ from the rest of the UK
If you have family elsewhere in the UK, it is easy to assume the rules are the same everywhere. They are not. Scots law has its own rules for wills and inheritance:
- A will in Scotland needs only one witness, not two.
- A person can make a valid will in Scotland from the age of 12.
- A spouse, civil partner and children can claim legal rights from the moveable estate, whatever the will says.
- Getting married does not cancel an existing Scottish will.
- For deaths since 1 November 2016, divorce generally cancels gifts to a former spouse and their appointment as executor.
Clear costs
How much do executry solicitors in East Kilbride charge?
Every estate is different, so the cost depends on what is involved. We look at the value of the estate, whether there is a will, whether there is property to sell and whether inheritance tax is due, and then give you a written fee estimate before any work starts. Our aim is legal work that is clear, cost-effective and free of surprises.
A solicitor who acts as executor charges for their time in the same way, and fees are normally paid from the estate.
- Free initial consultation
- A written fee estimate before we begin
- Court fees and other outlays shown separately
- Fees normally paid from the estate, not from your own pocket
We do not provide legal aid.
Visit us
2 Main Street, The Village
East Kilbride, Glasgow G74 4JH
Visit our East Kilbride solicitors in The Village
Our office is on Main Street in The Village, East Kilbride's historic conservation area. Meetings are by appointment, so please call before you visit and we will arrange a time that suits you.
Simplicity Legal Solicitors East Kilbride2 Main Street, The Village
East Kilbride, Glasgow G74 4JH
Why us
Committed to providing practical legal services across Lanarkshire
Executry Solicitors Scotland is part of Simplicity Legal, a law firm regulated by the Law Society of Scotland. We provide legal services throughout Scotland, including from our offices in East Kilbride and Glasgow.
Practical
Practical and reliable legal advice
Our team of experienced solicitors gives you clear advice on what needs to happen, in what order and what it will cost, so you can make decisions with confidence.
Personal
Personalised legal support for families
We meet the needs of individuals and families at a difficult time, explain everything in plain English and handle your affairs with professionalism and care. If you would like someone to talk to, see our guide to bereavement support in Lanarkshire.
Nearby
Also helping executors in Glasgow and Hamilton
Glasgow
Our Glasgow office on Woodlands Road helps executors across the city.
Executry solicitors GlasgowHamilton
Our Brandon Street office in Hamilton town centre, a few miles away.
Executry solicitors HamiltonHow long does an executor have to settle an estate in Scotland?
There is no fixed legal deadline, but an executor must act with reasonable speed. Executors are generally advised not to pay out the estate until six months after the date of death, because creditors can still make claims in that time. A straightforward estate often takes six to twelve months, and longer if there is a house to sell, inheritance tax to pay or a dispute. If an executor delays without good reason, the beneficiaries can take legal action. Our guide on what beneficiaries can do if an executor is not doing their job explains the options.
How much do solicitors charge to be executors of an estate?
A solicitor who acts as executor, or who acts for the executors, charges for the work involved. That may be a fixed fee, an hourly rate or a fee linked to the value of the estate. We set out our fees in writing before we start, and they are normally paid from the estate rather than by you personally.
Can executors change a will?
No. An executor has to follow the will as it stands. However, if the beneficiaries are in agreement, they can sometimes redirect what they inherit using a deed of variation. If it is signed within two years of the death, it can be treated for inheritance tax as if the deceased had made that change. A deed of variation is a legal document, so it is best drafted by a lawyer.
Do you offer a free consultation in East Kilbride?
Yes. Your initial consultation is free, either at our East Kilbride office on Main Street or by phone. It gives you a chance to explain the situation, ask questions and get a fee estimate with no obligation.
Which court deals with Confirmation for someone who lived in East Kilbride?
Confirmation is granted by the sheriff court for the district where the deceased lived. For someone whose home was in East Kilbride, that is normally Hamilton Sheriff Court, where executry applications are handled by the civil and commissary office at Birnie House, Caird Street, Hamilton. If the person was not domiciled in Scotland, or their Scottish address is not known, the application goes to HM Commissary Office in Edinburgh. We prepare and lodge the application for you.
Why is making a will important in Scotland?
Without a will, the law decides who inherits, and the result may not be what you want. A cohabiting partner has no automatic right to inherit, and your family may have to go to court to have an executor appointed. A will lets you choose your executors and beneficiaries, and makes the executry simpler and quicker for the people you leave behind.
Can I get legal aid for an executry?
We do not provide legal aid. Executry fees are normally paid from the estate, so the executor does not usually need to pay them personally.
Talk to us today
Speak to our lawyers in East Kilbride today
Call us on 0141 471 9166 and tell us a little about the estate. We will discuss your legal needs and arrange your free initial consultation, at our East Kilbride office or by phone. Whatever legal problems the estate raises, we will explain the legal solutions available. There is no obligation.
If you can, have the death certificate, the will and any recent bank or pension statements to hand. If you do not have them yet, that is fine. Finding them is part of what we do. Our guides explain what a husband, wife or civil partner inherits and what happens to a joint bank account.
- Phone 0141 471 9166
- East Kilbride 2 Main Street, The Village, East Kilbride G74 4JH
- Glasgow 34 Woodlands Road, Glasgow G3 6UR
- Visits By appointment, please call first
The quickest way to reach us
0141 471 9166Call to book your free first appointment, at one of our offices or by phone.
Please note that legal aid is not available for this service.