Probate without a solicitor
Yes. In many straightforward estates an executor or administrator can deal with probate personally. Whether that is appropriate depends on the estate, the will, the Inheritance Tax position and whether anyone is disputing anything. Where those are all clean, the work is admin — thorough, methodical admin — rather than law.
Jurisdiction: England & Wales. Last reviewed 13 August 2026.
In this section
What you take on
An executor is personally responsible for administering the estate correctly. That means valuing it honestly, reporting accurately to HMRC, paying debts before beneficiaries, and keeping records that show you did. Personal liability is the real subject here — not the difficulty of the forms.
Estates that usually suit a personal application
- The deceased lived in England or Wales and their assets are here
- There is a valid original will, or the intestacy position is clear and undisputed
- No one is contesting the will or threatening a claim against the estate
- The estate is solvent — the assets comfortably cover the debts
- No business, farm, trust interest or foreign property
- No large or unusual lifetime gifts in the last 7 years to unpick
- The estate is excepted for Inheritance Tax, or the tax position is simple and clear
Estates that do not
Get professional advice if any of these apply
A disputed or contested will, a caveat, an insolvent estate, a claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act, a trust, business or agricultural relief, foreign assets, or a beneficiary who is a minor or lacks capacity.What you save, honestly
Professional probate costs vary widely and we will not publish invented savings figures. What we can say plainly is that percentage-based fees rise with the value of the estate while the underlying work does not, and that our fee is £349 regardless of estate value, with the court fee of £526 payable separately to HMCTS.
What a self-help platform adds over doing it entirely alone
- A structured suitability check before you commit to anything
- A guided inventory so nothing is missed and every figure has evidence behind it
- An Inheritance Tax screening against current thresholds
- A printable summary containing every answer the registry asks for
- Prepared correspondence for banks, creditors and beneficiaries
- Automatic estate accounts with per-beneficiary distributions and a signature block
Frequently asked questions
- Is it legal to do probate without a solicitor?
- Yes. Executors and administrators have always been entitled to apply personally; there is no requirement to instruct anyone.
- What happens if I make a mistake?
- Depending on the mistake you may have to correct figures with HMRC, or you may be personally liable to a creditor or beneficiary for a shortfall. Statutory notices, careful valuations and written approval of the estate accounts are what keep that risk low.
- Can I start myself and hand over later?
- Yes. Nothing stops you instructing a firm partway through if the estate becomes complicated.
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.
£349 one-off service fee if you go ahead. Court fee and any Inheritance Tax are paid separately.
Sources
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Apply For Probate Online is an independent self-help service and is not part of HM Courts & Tribunals Service or GOV.UK.