Apply for probate online yourself

Who can apply

If there is a valid will, the executors named in it apply for a grant of probate. If there is no will, or no executor able to act, the closest surviving relative applies for letters of administration in the order set by the intestacy rules. Up to four people can be named on one grant; an executor who does not want to act can either reserve their power or renounce it formally.

When probate is needed at all

Probate is not always required. Assets held as joint tenants pass to the survivor automatically, and many banks release modest balances on production of the death certificate alone. Probate is normally needed where the deceased owned property in their sole name or as tenants in common, or where an institution holds a balance above its own threshold.

Ask every institution in writing what their threshold is before assuming an answer. One account above the line is enough to make a grant necessary.

What you need in front of you before you start

• The original will and any codicils
• The death certificate, or the interim certificate from the coroner
• Your own identity details exactly as they appear on official documents
• The deceased's full name, any other names used, address and date of death
• A complete, evidenced valuation of assets and liabilities at the date of death
• The Inheritance Tax position — either the excepted-estate figures or the HMRC reference from a submitted account
• A payment card for the £526 court fee

Valuing the estate properly

The valuation is the part that decides whether the rest goes smoothly. Every figure must be as at the date of death and supported by something you could show HMRC: a bank's date-of-death balance letter, an estate agent's or surveyor's valuation of property, a share price list, a written statement of each debt. Guesses are the single most common cause of a corrected account later.

The Inheritance Tax position

The nil-rate band is £325,000, with a further residence nil-rate band of up to £175,000 where a home passes to direct descendants. Unused allowances can often be transferred from a spouse who died earlier, which is why many estates well above £325,000 still pay nothing. Gifts made in the 7 years before death are brought back into the calculation.

Most estates qualify as excepted, meaning no full account is needed and the figures are reported as part of the probate application itself. Where tax is due, the IHT400 route applies, tax has to be paid or funded before the grant is issued, and you need the HMRC reference before the registry will proceed.

Making the application

1. Confirm the will, the executors and your entitlement to apply.
2. Enter the deceased's details exactly as they appear on the death certificate.
3. Report the estate values and the Inheritance Tax position.
4. Order the office copies you need — one for each institution, £2 each with the application.
5. Read and sign the statement of truth.
6. Pay the £526 fee — estates of £5,000 or less pay nothing.
7. Post the original will and any codicils to the registry immediately.

When you cannot apply online

The online service handles common cases. You will normally be directed to paper where the will is unusual in form or condition, where entitlement to apply is not straightforward, where the grant is needed for a limited purpose, or where the applicant acts under a power of attorney. Forcing an unusual case through the online route reliably collects a requisition.

How long it takes

Requisitions are the main cause of delay, and nearly all of them come from figures that do not reconcile or from the original will arriving late.

What our £349 package includes

• A guided estate inventory covering assets, liabilities and beneficiaries
• An Inheritance Tax screening that tells you which route your estate takes
• A printable application summary containing every answer the registry asks for
• A step-by-step estate administration plan through to final accounts
• Letter templates for banks, registrars, utilities and beneficiaries

What it is not: it is not the court service, and it is not legal advice on a disputed or complex estate. The £526 court fee is paid to HMCTS separately.

When to use a solicitor instead

Get advice where the will's validity is questioned, where someone may bring a claim against the estate, where the estate is insolvent, where there are trusts, business or agricultural property, foreign assets, or a missing beneficiary. The suitability check flags all of these before you pay anything.

Start the official application on GOV.UK