Apply for probate in England and Wales
A grant of probate authorises executors to administer an estate. Inheritance tax reporting must be settled before the grant issues.
- Timeline
- 8-16 weeks after the tax position is settled
- Cost
- £300 application fee for estates over £5,000, plus £1.50 per extra copy
- Steps
- 7 stages
Deadline — read this first
Inheritance tax is due six months after the end of the month of death; the IHT400 is due within twelve months.
Who can file
Executors named in the will, or the next of kin applying for letters of administration where there is no will.
Step by step
- 1
Locate the will and check validity
Confirm signatures, witnesses and any codicils. Search the National Will Register if uncertain.
- 2
Value the estate
Obtain date-of-death valuations for property, accounts, investments, chattels and all liabilities.
- 3
Report for inheritance tax
Excepted estates report on the application; otherwise complete IHT400 with schedules.
- 4
Pay any inheritance tax
Tax must generally be paid before the grant issues; the direct payment scheme or a loan may be needed.
- 5
Apply for the grant
Apply online or on form PA1P (with will) or PA1A (without), sending the original will to the registry.
- 6
Collect and distribute assets
Close accounts, sell or transfer property, settle debts, then distribute according to the will or intestacy rules.
- 7
Prepare estate accounts
Provide beneficiaries with accounts showing receipts, payments and distributions.
Documents you must produce
- Original will and any codicils
- Death certificate
- Date-of-death asset and liability valuations
- IHT forms (IHT400 or excepted estate figures)
- Executor identification
Common mistakes that sink cases
- Distributing before advertising for creditors under the Trustee Act, exposing executors personally.
- Underestimating the value of gifts made in the seven years before death.
- Sending a photocopy rather than the original will, which the registry will reject.
Found something out of date on Apply for probate in England and Wales?
Corrections are reviewed against the primary source before anything changes.