Griffin Solicitors

Griffin Solicitors Legal Problem Solver-Probate, Property and Personal Injuries

16/09/2026

Buying a One-Off Property? There’s More to Check Than the House

Buying a standalone property, particularly outside a town or city, can involve issues you may not encounter with a typical urban home.

You may need to establish where the septic tank is located and whether it is properly registered, confirm rights of way and legal access, and make sure the maps and property boundaries accurately reflect what you're buying.

These details can also become important when obtaining a mortgage or eventually selling the property.

Get these issues checked from the outset — not when they become a problem later.

14/09/2026

What Can You Do If an Executor Is Delaying Probate?

Fourteen years without a Grant of Probate is an extraordinary delay.

If an executor isn't progressing the estate, the first step may be to get independent legal advice and formally ask them to take action.

Where that doesn't work, there are legal procedures that may be available to require an executor to either proceed with the probate application or renounce their role. In more serious circumstances, an application can be made to the High Court to have an executor removed, although this can be costly.

You don't necessarily have to accept years of inaction. Get advice on the options available in your particular case.

11/09/2026

Buying an Apartment? Check More Than the Apartment Itself

When you buy an apartment, you're also becoming part of a development with shared areas and an Owners' Management Company (OMC).

Before buying, it's important to understand the annual service charge and investigate the management and condition of the development. Issues involving fire safety works, balconies, lifts or other major repairs can potentially lead to additional costs or levies for owners.

These issues can affect both what you pay while living there and how easy the apartment may be to sell in the future.

Do your homework on the development as well as the apartment.

09/09/2026

What Happens If There Is No Will?

If someone dies without a valid will, there is no executor appointed under a will.

Instead, the estate is dealt with under the rules of intestacy. The law determines who is entitled to inherit, and an administrator may need to obtain a Grant of Administration to deal with the estate.

This is why making a will matters. It gives you greater control over who inherits your estate and who will be responsible for dealing with it.

07/09/2026

Previously Owned a Property? Check Before Claiming Help to Buy

Ireland's Help to Buy scheme is for first-time purchasers. If you've previously bought or built a property, including outside Ireland, you may not meet the first-time purchaser requirement.

It's important to provide accurate information to Revenue and your solicitor. If Help to Buy is claimed when you're not eligible, Revenue may seek to claw back the relief.

If you're unsure whether you qualify, check before making your claim.

04/09/2026

Do You Always Need Probate?

Not necessarily.

If assets are held jointly, they may pass directly to the surviving owner by survivorship without the need for probate at that stage.

The key questions are whether probate is actually required, whether you can deal with it yourself, or whether it makes sense to instruct a solicitor.

The position often changes when the surviving owner later passes away and the estate moves to the next generation.

Every estate is different, so it’s worth checking what actually needs to be done before starting the process.

02/09/2026

Buying a Vacant Home? You May Qualify for a Grant

If you're buying a property that has been vacant for at least two years, you may be eligible for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant.

Proof of vacancy can usually be shown through utility usage records or other supporting evidence, depending on the circumstances.

The grant can be worth up to €50,000, with a higher amount potentially available for qualifying properties on offshore islands.

If you're considering buying a vacant property, check your eligibility before you start the refurbishment work.

31/08/2026

When Does an Executor's Role Actually Begin?

Being named as an executor in someone's will doesn't give you authority to act while that person is still alive.

An executor's role begins after the person has passed away.

If your concern is that an elderly or vulnerable relative is being pressured or influenced into making decisions against their wishes, that's a different and potentially serious issue.

If you're concerned about undue influence, it's important to get appropriate advice as early as possible.

28/08/2026

Planning Rules Have Changed – But Don't Assume You're Exempt

Recent changes to planning legislation have expanded certain exempted development limits, including extensions and garden rooms, alongside changes affecting heat pumps and some accommodation options.

But an exemption isn't automatic.

Before investing in an extension or other development, it's worth having the plans properly checked by an architect or other suitably qualified professional.

The last thing you want is to spend thousands and later realise that planning permission was actually required.

Check first. Build second.

26/08/2026

Is There Really Any Point in Making a Will?

Absolutely.

A will allows you to decide what happens to your estate and who should benefit from it.

Without a will, your estate is distributed under the rules of intestacy. Those rules may be perfectly reasonable, but they may not reflect what you actually wanted for your family.

Making a will means you make that decision — not the rules of intestacy.

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Gabriel House, 6 Cypress Park
Dublin
D6WAH61

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