How long does DIY probate take?

Most straightforward estates complete in six to twelve months. The grant itself is often eight to sixteen weeks of that; the rest is valuation beforehand and administration afterwards.

Can I be paid for my time as executor?

A lay executor cannot usually charge for their time unless the will provides for it, but you can reclaim reasonable out-of-pocket expenses from the estate.

What records should I keep?

Every valuation, statement, receipt, letter and the final estate accounts — for at least twelve years.

Is doing probate yourself risky?

The risk is personal liability, not the paperwork. Statutory notices, evidenced valuations and written approval of the estate accounts are what keep it low.

What does it cost to do probate yourself?

The £526 court fee plus estate expenses if you work entirely alone, or £349 plus the court fee with our guided package.

Doing probate yourself

Doing probate yourself means personally handling the death registration, the estate valuation, the tax reporting, the application, the collection of assets, the payment of debts and the distribution to beneficiaries. On a straightforward estate this is usually somewhere between twenty and sixty hours of work spread over six to twelve months.

Jurisdiction: England & Wales. Last reviewed 13 August 2026.

Where the time actually goes

Stage	Typical elapsed time	Where the effort is
Registration and notifications	1–3 weeks	Certificates, Tell Us Once, contacting organisations
Valuing the estate	4–10 weeks	Waiting on institutions to reply with date-of-death figures
Tax position	2–8 weeks	Excepted-estate figures, or a full account if required
The application	1–2 days to prepare	Transcribing checked figures and signing the statement of truth
Waiting for the grant	8–16 weeks	Chasing, and answering any requisition
Administration	2–6 months	Collecting assets, paying debts, accounts, distribution

The points where people get stuck

Institutions that will not release information without the grant, and will not confirm a balance without a specific form
A property valuation that has to be defensible if HMRC queries it
Working out whether lifetime gifts have to be reported
Deciding whether the estate is excepted or needs a full account
Knowing when it is safe to distribute

The unglamorous truth

Most of DIY probate is chasing organisations and keeping a clean record. The legal knowledge required for a straightforward estate is modest; the organisation required is not.

Should you do it yourself?

Doing it yourself is usually the right call where the will is valid and unchallenged, the estate is solvent, everything is in England or Wales, and the tax position is either nil or simple. It is the wrong call where the will is disputed, a claim is threatened, there is a trust, a business, a farm, foreign property, or a beneficiary who is a minor or lacks capacity.

The question is rarely whether you are capable. It is whether you have the time to chase institutions for several months and the discipline to evidence every figure before you sign the statement of truth.

How our package changes the job

For £349 you get the whole journey structured: a 26-step tracker with notes, registers for assets, liabilities and beneficiaries, an Inheritance Tax screening, an application summary containing every answer the registry asks for, six auto-filled correspondence templates, and printable estate accounts with per-beneficiary distributions. You still do the work and you remain the executor — but you always know what the next step is.

Frequently asked questions

How long does DIY probate take?: Most straightforward estates complete in six to twelve months. The grant itself is often eight to sixteen weeks of that; the rest is valuation beforehand and administration afterwards.
Can I be paid for my time as executor?: A lay executor cannot usually charge for their time unless the will provides for it, but you can reclaim reasonable out-of-pocket expenses from the estate.
What records should I keep?: Every valuation, statement, receipt, letter and the final estate accounts — for at least twelve years.
Is doing probate yourself risky?: The risk is personal liability, not the paperwork. Statutory notices, evidenced valuations and written approval of the estate accounts are what keep it low.
What does it cost to do probate yourself?: The £526 court fee plus estate expenses if you work entirely alone, or £349 plus the court fee with our guided package.

Dealing with a straightforward estate yourself?

Our free probate checker helps you work out whether this estate appears suitable for a self-help route. It asks about jurisdiction, disputes and complexity, takes a few minutes, and needs no account.

Check suitability — free What is included

£349 one-off service fee if you go ahead. Court fee and any Inheritance Tax are paid separately.

Sources

Continue your probate journey

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