Is there a fixed amount below which probate is not needed?

No. It depends on each institution's own limit and on whether any property is in the sole name of the deceased.

Process · 5 min read

Probate for a small estate: when you don't need a grant

Plenty of estates never need a grant. Whether you need one depends on what the assets are and who holds them, not on a single legal threshold.

Written and reviewed by Ramani Gill, Founder & CEO — Solicitor, TEP, BA, LLM. Last reviewed 2026-08-19.

When no grant is needed

Everything was jointly owned and passes by survivorship
Each institution's balance falls under its own small-estate limit
The only assets are personal possessions and cash
Pension and life policies are payable under trust or at the provider's discretion

Bank small-estate limits

Each bank sets its own threshold, commonly between £5,000 and £50,000, and will release funds against a death certificate, a will and a signed indemnity. There is no statutory figure, so ask each holder for its own limit in writing.

Doing this yourself?

Our guided service walks an executor through valuations, the HMCTS forms and the estate accounts for a one-off £349.

Check if I can do probate myself

When a grant is unavoidable

Asset	Grant needed?
Property in the deceased's sole name	Yes, effectively always
Property held as tenants in common	Yes, for the deceased's share
Shareholdings above the registrar's limit	Yes
Bank balance above that bank's limit	Yes

The court fee may not apply anyway

Estates of £5,000 or less pay no application fee, so where a grant is needed on a small estate the only real cost is your time and the sealed copies at £2 each.

GOV.UK — Wills, probate and inheritance

Common questions

Is there a fixed amount below which probate is not needed?: No. It depends on each institution's own limit and on whether any property is in the sole name of the deceased.

Not sure whether this estate is straightforward?

The free suitability checker asks about jurisdiction, disputes and complexity, and tells you in a few minutes whether a self-help route is sensible — or whether you should speak to a solicitor. No account needed.

Start the free checker