Human Law | SVS Self-Triage Calculator

Identify your operational profile:

Professional Representative Track Lay Executor / Trustee Track

1. How long has the estate administration been at a standstill?

Under 3 months / normal flow 3 to 12 months with minimal updates Over 12 months of total gridlock

2. How communicative are the co-executors or beneficiaries?

Cooperative and responding regularly Highly defensive, slow, or ignoring emails Absolute refusal to communicate or sign documents

3. Have any formal legal challenges or warning notices been issued?

No formal legal threats or letters Solicitors letters received raising concerns or asking questions Threats of court action, citations, or caveat warnings issued

4. What is the status of the estate accounts?

Drafted and fully agreed without friction Drafted but being nitpicked or challenged over small figures Refusal to sign off or demand for full forensic audit

5. Are there active disputes regarding the assets or property?

Assets are liquidated or transfer processes agreed Disagreements over property sales or contents valuations Refusal to leave an estate property or active locks changed

6. What level of professional legal costs have been incurred so far?

Nominal / Standard administration fees only Escalating hourly fees starting to drain cash reserves Massive, open-ended bills with no visible progress

7. Has a caveat been registered against the estate?

No caveats registered Yes, a caveat is blocking the Grant of Probate

1. How long has the deadlock cycle been actively ongoing?

Less than 6 months 6 to 18 months More than 18 months

2. What is the current standing of the challenging party?

Core beneficiary with direct statutory rights Peripheral family member or proxy actor with low legal standing Third-party interloper with no administrative standing

3. Has a caveat been lodged at the registry?

No caveats lodged Yes, caveat lodged but warning/appearance phase not initiated Caveat warning/appearance cycle actively contested or summons pending

4. What is the complexity layout of the trust structures/underlying assets?

Solely UK residential and simple cash accounts Offshore instruments, corporate cross-holdings, or private trusts Active trading structures, multi-tiered partnerships, or agricultural assets

5. How would you rate the current level of solicitor escalation?

Non-contentious firms operating on transactional files Active contentious probate letters exchanging long-form grievances High-intensity threats of active court litigation or citation applications

6. What is the status of co-fiduciary alignment?

Executors/Trustees are fully aligned and speaking as one Mild divergence or communication delays between co-executors Total administrative gridlock or hostile executor stand-off

7. Has a Larke v Nugus statement or data access disclosure request been submitted?

No disclosure requests issued Disclosure request issued and responses compiled Hostile disputes regarding file release, drafting notes, or execution circumstances

8. What is the level of administrative fee erosion vs overall estate value?

Negligible erosion (Less than 1% of assets) Noticeable erosion (1% to 5% of liquid reserves consumed) Heavy erosion of the residuary estate to fund adversarial legal teams

9. Are there active arguments over property occupancies or contents removal?

No property occupancy or physical asset challenges Disagreements over timing of property marketing or contents valuations Physical property access blocked, locks changed, or assets removed without consent

10. What is your firm or organisation's PII risk exposure on this file?

Zero / Purely an advisory or referral role Moderate / Back-office transactional executor or probate agent High / Personal liability threat from hostile co-fiduciary or beneficiaries