Probate lawyers 'to avoid council tax confusion'

Probate lawyers should be able to help individuals avoid confusing and unexpected claims for council tax when a loved one passes away, it has emerged.

David Clarke was left "angered and disgusted" when Tendring Council demanded payment on a house belonging to his recently-deceased father, reports This Is Local London.

Although probate lawyers were in the process of estate administration, the local authority sent a bill of £1,000 for the unoccupied property, without waiting for the probate process to end or including a covering letter to explain the unanticipated charge.

Mr Clarke reveals: "I'm not trying to avoid the payment. I just can't understand the rush. Probate can take up to eight weeks."

In these cases, probate lawyers can be essential for resolving outstanding issues as quickly and easily as possible.

Some councils have recently considered levying charges on unoccupied properties to encourage people with more than one home to let or sell the residence, which could help cut down on housing shortages.