1. A Co-Executor Will Not Act
An executor has stopped responding, refused to sign or will not join an application. Establish whether a Grant has issued and who is entitled to act.
What Is Stopping the Estate From Progressing?
Find practical guidance for an estate that has stalled. If you are unsure what is blocking progress, use the free Problem Finder. If you already know the issue, go straight to the guides below.
Contact Justin directly → An initial enquiry does not commit you to payment.
Not Sure Where to Start?
Choose the closest problem, then answer 2–4 factual questions. Your result points to a likely blockage, useful evidence and relevant guidance.
For estates in England and Wales. This is general guidance, not individual legal advice. No names, documents or free-text details are requested.
No will? Start with the no-will guidance → Find out who can administer the estate and who may inherit.
You can browse all eight guide categories below at any time, including if the interactive Finder does not load. You do not need to complete it before reading a guide or enquiring.
Browse all problem guides ↓Problem not listed? Email Justin a brief outline so we can check whether Human Law can help. You do not need to complete the Finder before enquiring.
Already Know the Issue? Browse the Guides
Choose from eight common situations. Each link takes you directly to a detailed guide; no questionnaire is required.
2. A Property Cannot Be Sold
The sale is stalled over price, an agent, an offer or completion documents. Gather the valuations, objections and costs of continued delay.
3. Beneficiary Requests, Accounts and Disagreements
Identify the accounts, explanation or transaction being questioned, and what information has already been provided.
4. Estate Distribution and Completing an Administration
Find guidance on retained funds, missing or unresponsive beneficiaries and other obstacles to completing an administration.
- Read: Money Cannot Be Distributed: What Should an Executor Do? →
- A beneficiary cannot be found: enquiries and distribution options
- Missing beneficiary insurance or a Benjamin order
- A beneficiary will not respond or provide payment details
- The executor’s year: must beneficiaries wait 12 months? →
- The will is unclear: what should an executor do? →
5. An Asset or Lifetime Transaction Is Disputed
Start with what happened, who holds the asset and what records exist. Investigation and any recovery steps need individual assessment.
6. A Caveat or Will Challenge Is Blocking Probate
Identify whether a caveat has been entered, a warning served or the will’s validity challenged. Check the documents and any response dates promptly.
7. Executor Conduct and Removal
For executors facing allegations and beneficiaries concerned about stalled administration. Identify the problem, the grant position and the options before seeking removal.
8. Someone Is Threatening an Inheritance Claim
A family member or dependant is seeking financial provision from the estate. Understand the executor’s role, distribution risks and what to establish before responding.
Professional adviser? Visit the professional support page. Further reading: The Out-of-Court Executor, Justin’s Six Pillars diagnostic handbook. Available now: Buy on Amazon →.
No Will: Intestacy and Who Can Act
If there is no valid will, first establish who can administer and who inherits. These separate guides explain the starting points for England and Wales.
- No Will: Where Do I Start? →
- Who Can Administer an Intestate Estate? →
- Who Inherits When There Is No Will? →
Human Law supports stalled or disputed estates; it does not provide routine grant applications or estate administration.
Prefer to watch? Visit our video guidance page →
Practical tools when you need them
Build a free property discussion summary, estimate recurring costs or check what you need to prepare for resolution.
Calculator and readiness-check entries stay on this page. The separate property summary builder also works in your browser and does not submit your entries. If you choose to carry a Finder summary to Stage 01, four short points are kept temporarily in this browser tab. They are sent to Human Law only if you submit the enquiry form. Successful tool uses are counted without your entries or results. Existing site analytics still loads as usual.
Estate Property Carrying-Cost Calculator Estimate the cost of continued delay
Enter monthly recurring costs and the length of delay. Convert annual bills to a monthly amount; avoid counting the same cost twice.
This is a constant-cost estimate in pounds, not an audit of past bills. It excludes one-off costs, capital repayments, rental income, changes in value and tax consequences. Zero means no cost included; replace it if the amount is known.
Costs alone do not determine an acceptable sale price, who is responsible for delay or whether an executor should act. Those questions require solicitor review.
Read the estate property guide →Resolution Readiness Check Identify preparation gaps
This check records what is available and what remains unclear. It does not score your case, predict settlement or decide whether mediation is appropriate.
Legal merits, duties, deadlines and the suitability of a resolution route remain for individual solicitor review.
Keep useful results with Print / Save as PDF, or download your Finder checklist. No email address is required. Saved files can be moved between your devices.
Apply the Guidance to Your Estate
Fixed fee · £400 + VAT (£480 including VAT)
Stage 01: Factual Audit & Action Plan
The guides explain general options. Stage 01 applies them to your selected documents and circumstances, identifies the blockage and sets out practical next steps.
Your review is with Justin Patten, Solicitor.
Your document review and consultation are conducted directly with Justin, principal of Human Law.
Human Law is authorised and regulated by the SRA (No. 657838). About Justin →
Selected facts and documents
Review of up to 40 selected pages of core documents and correspondence.
Direct solicitor consultation
A focused 30-minute consultation with Justin to clarify the position and the specific blockage.
Your written Action Plan
A two-page plan identifying risks, information gaps and proportionate next steps.
Delivery: the Action Plan is normally delivered within three working days after the consultation and receipt of all required documents, whichever is later.
An initial enquiry does not commit you to payment. We check suitability and conflicts before agreeing any paid work.
Using these tools does not instruct Human Law. If a deadline or immediate risk is involved, seek prompt advice; do not wait for Stage 01. Further correspondence and Probate Registry work are separately agreed. Wider contested litigation and trial representation are outside our published scope.