Court of Probate Act 1857
Encyclopedia
The Court of Probate Act 1857 transferred responsibility for the granting of probate
, and letters of administration
, from the ecclesiastical courts
of England and Wales
to a new civil Court of Probate
. It created a Principal Probate Registry in London
and a number of district probate registries. The act came into force in January 1858.
Probate
Probate is the legal process of administering the estate of a deceased person by resolving all claims and distributing the deceased person's property under the valid will. A probate court decides the validity of a testator's will...
, and letters of administration
Letters of Administration
Letters of Administration are granted by a Surrogate Court or probate registry to appoint appropriate people to deal with a deceased person's estate where property will pass under Intestacy Rules or where there are no executors living having been validly appointed under the deceased's will...
, from the ecclesiastical courts
Ecclesiastical court
An ecclesiastical court is any of certain courts having jurisdiction mainly in spiritual or religious matters. In the Middle Ages in many areas of Europe these courts had much wider powers than before the development of nation states...
of England and Wales
England and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
to a new civil Court of Probate
Court of Probate
The Court of Probate was created by the Court of Probate Act 1857, which transferred the jurisdiction of the ecclesiastical courts in testamentary matters to the new court so created....
. It created a Principal Probate Registry in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and a number of district probate registries. The act came into force in January 1858.