How to apply for letters of administration when there is no will (PA1A)
The PA1A is the probate application form when someone has died without a valid will.
It gives a family member (usually the closest surviving relative) the legal authority to collect the deceased's assets, pay their debts, and distribute what remains according to the intestacy rules — fixed rules set by law that decide who inherits when there is no will.
This walkthrough covers the key sections: establishing your entitlement, deciding whether IHT paperwork is needed, and completing the sworn statement that the Probate Registry requires.
✓ Official source checked 2 September 2026 · GOV.UK last revised this form 27 February 2025PA1A on GOV.UK ↗
United Kingdom·Informational, not legal or financial advice·Official source: GOV.UK
✓Official form · always current
This is the same official PA1A file HMCTS publishes on GOV.UK — the link below fetches the current version live from GOV.UK the moment you click it, so it can never go out of date.
Current version: February 2025 · confirmed on GOV.UK 2 September 2026
This walkthrough takes PA1A field by field, in plain English. Most of the form is administrative; the hard part is proving you are the person highest-entitled to apply under the intestacy order, getting renunciations from anyone equally entitled, and settling HMRC's tax position before the Probate Registry will look at the application.
The step that has to happen before you apply
Applying before HMRC sign-off.
If the estate needs an IHT400 account, HMRC must process it first and issue the unique code/reference the Probate Registry now requires (the old stamped IHT421 has been replaced).
Sending the PA1A before HMRC is ready adds months to the timeline, because the application sits unprocessed until the IHT position is confirmed.
The form, in summary
The PA1A form, in summary.
Valoren
PA1A·9 pages·32 fields guided
With Valoren1–1.5 hours
Without Valoren3–4 hours
most time is spent on the intestacy calculation and HMRC paperwork before submission
When someone dies without a valid will (intestate), no executor is named — so no one has automatic authority to administer the estate.
Applying for Letters of Administration on form PA1A grants that authority.
The applicant becomes the administrator and has the same powers as an executor, but derives them from the Grant (not a will).
The order of entitlement to apply is set by the Non-Contentious Probate Rules 1987 r.22: surviving spouse or civil partner first, then children or issue of deceased children, then parents, then siblings, then half-siblings, then grandparents, then aunts and uncles.
·Who Files — The person highest-placed in the intestacy rules who is willing and entitled to apply (or their solicitor)
·9 pages · 32 fields guided
·Draws from your Estate File — Civil Dossier, Personal Record, Financial Accounts, Property Folio
Section01
§11
Section 1
Who inherits under intestacy? — Establishing entitlement before you apply
Before completing the PA1A, you need to confirm who is legally entitled to administer the estate under the intestacy rules.
The Probate Registry will check this. If you apply but are not the highest-entitled person, the application will fail.
01
Surviving spouse or civil partner
If the deceased left a surviving spouse or civil partner, they are entitled to apply first — and to inherit the most.
If the estate is worth £322,000 or less, the spouse inherits everything.
If it is worth more than £322,000 and there are children, the spouse takes the first £322,000 outright plus half of the remainder; the other half goes to the children in equal shares.
(The £322,000 threshold as of 2024-26 — confirm with gov.uk as it adjusts periodically.)
02
Children of the deceased
If there is no surviving spouse or civil partner, the children inherit in equal shares.
If a child has already died but left children of their own (the deceased's grandchildren), those grandchildren step into their parent's share.
Legally adopted children are treated identically to biological children.
Stepchildren who were not legally adopted do not inherit under the intestacy rules unless left a gift by will.
03
Other family members (if no spouse or children)
The intestacy order continues: parents (equally if both alive), then full siblings (if neither parent survives), then half-siblings, then grandparents, then aunts and uncles.
If none survive, the estate passes to the Crown (bona vacantia).
04
More than one equally-entitled person
If there are two or more people at the same level of entitlement (for example, three surviving children), any one of them can apply — but the others must provide a written renunciation or consent.
The Probate Registry will not usually issue the Grant until those renunciations are in order.
Before completing the PA1A, you need to confirm who is legally entitled to administer the estate under the intestacy rules.
HMCTS Probate Registry · PA1A❦
Section02
§22
Section 2
Does the estate need an IHT account? — The HMRC step before applying
The Probate Registry will not accept a PA1A until HMRC's tax position is settled.
For deaths on or after 1 January 2022, most estates are 'excepted' and report their values inside the application itself; larger or more complex estates need the full IHT400.
01
Excepted estates — no separate IHT form (deaths on/after 1 Jan 2022)
IHT205 was abolished for deaths on or after 1 January 2022.
If the estate is excepted — broadly, within the available nil-rate band or fully exempt, with no significant gifts in the last 7 years, no trusts, and no substantial foreign assets — you no longer complete a separate IHT return.
You report the gross and net estate values directly in the PA1A (or the online probate application), and the Probate Registry confirms no inheritance tax is due.
(For deaths before 1 January 2022, the old IHT205 still applied.)
02
IHT400 — larger or more complex estates
If inheritance tax may be due, or the estate includes foreign assets, gifts, trusts, or business property, you need the full IHT400 Inheritance Tax account, sent to HMRC.
Rather than returning a stamped IHT421 as in the past, HMRC now issues a unique code/reference once it has processed the account — and you must allow at least 20 working days before applying.
You then use that code to apply for the grant with the PA1A.
03
Estates below £5,000
Estates worth less than £5,000 in total often do not require a Grant of Probate — many institutions will release funds on presentation of the death certificate and a letter of administration.
Check with each institution before applying.
The Probate Registry will not accept a PA1A until HMRC's tax position is settled.
HMCTS Probate Registry · PA1A❦
Section03
§33
Section 3
About the deceased — Section A of the PA1A
Section A asks for identifying information about the person who has died. You will need their death certificate to hand — most of these details must match the registered death exactly.
01
Full name and any aliases
The deceased's full name as it appears on the death certificate.
If they were known by any other name — a maiden name, a common-law name, a business name — list those too.
Banks and other institutions often hold accounts in different name variations, and including aliases now prevents problems when producing the Grant later.
02
Date and place of death
Exactly as on the death certificate.
Date of birth and marital status at death are also required.
Marital status matters for the intestacy calculation.
03
Last known address and domicile
The deceased's last permanent home address and the country of their domicile (for most people, England and Wales).
Domicile determines which country's succession laws apply — for most UK-born people living in England and Wales, domicile is not an issue, but if the deceased spent significant time abroad it may need consideration.
04
Did the deceased leave a will?
The PA1A is the form for intestacy (no valid will).
If a will was found but is invalid (for example, not signed correctly, or made when the deceased lacked capacity), you should take legal advice before applying — there may be contested-will proceedings first.
Section A asks for identifying information about the person who has died. You will need their death certificate to hand — most of these details must match the registered death exactly.
HMCTS Probate Registry · PA1A❦
Section04
§44
Section 4
About the applicant and the statement of entitlement
Section B of the PA1A is about you — the applicant. You must explain your relationship to the deceased and confirm your entitlement to apply under the intestacy rules.
01
Your details
Your full name, address, date of birth, and your relationship to the deceased — for example, 'surviving spouse', 'eldest child', 'parent'.
Be precise: the Probate Registry checks this against the intestacy rules to confirm you are entitled.
02
Renunciations from others equally entitled
If other family members are equally entitled to apply and you are applying alone, you need signed renunciations from them.
For example, if the deceased had three children and only one is applying, the other two must sign a Renunciation form (or their solicitors must write confirming they do not intend to apply).
The Probate Registry may ask for these documents.
03
Administrators' oath or statement of truth
The PA1A includes a statement of truth (replacing the traditional sworn oath).
By signing it you confirm, among other things, that to the best of your knowledge there was no valid will, that you are entitled to apply, and that you will administer the estate correctly according to the law.
04
Joint application by two administrators
If there is a surviving spouse AND children, and the estate is over £322,000, the spouse and one child may apply together as co-administrators to simplify the joint-inheritance situation.
This is not required but can help in practice when the estate includes a property.
Section B of the PA1A is about you — the applicant. You must explain your relationship to the deceased and confirm your entitlement to apply under the intestacy rules.
HMCTS Probate Registry · PA1A❦
Section05
§55
Section 5
Submitting the PA1A — what to include and what happens next
The PA1A is submitted to the Probate Registry (online or by post) with the death certificate, the IHT documentation, the fee, and any supporting forms.
The Registry checks the application, sends a notice, and (if no issues arise) issues the Grant of Letters of Administration.
01
Documents to include
Completed PA1A form · the death certificate (official certified copy from the registrar, not a photocopy) · for an IHT400 estate, the HMRC code/reference confirming the account has been processed (excepted estates need no IHT form — the values go in the application itself) · renunciations from equally-entitled persons who are not applying · the application fee (£526 for estates over £5,000).
You can apply online via HMCTS Probate Registry — the portal guides you through the submission checklist.
02
What the Probate Registry checks
The Registry checks that your IHT paperwork is in order, that your relationship and entitlement are correctly stated, and that the form is correctly completed and signed.
For straightforward intestacy applications, this typically takes 8–12 weeks from receipt of a complete application.
03
The Grant of Letters of Administration
The Grant is the document that gives you formal authority to collect and administer the estate.
It is issued in the administrator's name, states the date of death and the estate value, and is sealed by the Court.
You will need multiple sealed copies — usually 5–10 — to send to banks, insurers, land registry, and other institutions.
04
After the Grant
Once you have the Grant, you collect the estate assets, pay all debts and liabilities (in the correct legal order: secured creditors first, then ordinary creditors), place a Deceased Estates Notice in the London Gazette (protecting you against later creditor claims), and finally distribute what remains to beneficiaries according to the intestacy rules.
The PA1A is submitted to the Probate Registry (online or by post) with the death certificate, the IHT documentation, the fee, and any supporting forms.
HMCTS Probate Registry · PA1A❦
Many people file PA1A themselves — that is what this walkthrough is for. If the estate behind it has stopped being simple — inheritance tax to pay, a trust, foreign assets, a dispute — Signum, Valoren’s own specialist desk, can take it on, and we say so plainly: it starts with a free intake, and if you do not need us, we will tell you. Prefer an independent adviser? STEP and the Chartered Institute of Taxation both keep public member directories, and neither pays Valoren a referral fee.
FAQ
PA1A questions, answered.
PA1A is the application for a grant of Letters of Administration when someone has died without a valid will (intestate).
Because no will means no named executor, no one has automatic authority to deal with the estate.
The grant gives the administrator legal authority to collect the assets, pay the debts, and distribute what remains according to the intestacy rules set by the Administration of Estates Act 1925.
The person highest-placed in the intestacy order who is willing and entitled to apply — or their solicitor.
The order is fixed by the Non-Contentious Probate Rules 1987 (r.22): surviving spouse or civil partner first, then children (or the children of a child who has died), then parents, then siblings, then half-siblings, then grandparents, then aunts and uncles.
If several people share the same rank, any one can apply, but the others should renounce or consent.
There is no strict statutory time limit to apply, but in practice the estate stays frozen until the grant is issued — bank accounts cannot be closed and property cannot be transferred or sold without it, so delay has a real cost.
Note that if an IHT400 is needed, HMRC must process it first and you must allow at least 20 working days before applying.
The application fee is £526 for estates worth more than £5,000, and there is no fee for estates of £5,000 or less.
Sealed copies of the grant cost £2 each, and you will usually want several to send to banks, insurers, and the Land Registry.
(Figures change — confirm the current fee on gov.uk before paying.)
The official certified death certificate from the registrar (not a photocopy); evidence of your relationship to the deceased and of who else is entitled under intestacy — including children, issue, and any previous marriages; signed renunciations from anyone equally entitled who is not applying; and the estate values (accounts, property, and other assets) that you declare in the application, or the HMRC reference code if the estate needs a full IHT400.
Sending the PA1A to the Probate Registry before HMRC has cleared the tax position.
If the estate needs an IHT400, HMRC must process it and issue the unique probate code (the old stamped IHT421 has been replaced) before the Registry will proceed — submit too early and the application simply sits unprocessed.
Excepted (non-taxpaying) estates avoid this by declaring the values inside the application itself.
There isn't a current one.
PA3 was a one-page HMCTS fee notice, not an application — the last version we could confirm is dated 2020, and it doesn't appear in GOV.UK's current probate forms collection.
PA1A is the form you need if there's no will; PA1P is the form if there is one.
The current fee is £526 for estates over £5,000 — see EX160 if you need help paying it.
There's no current PA4 application either.
It was a discontinued HMCTS leaflet listing probate registry addresses, folded into ordinary GOV.UK guidance once paper applications centralised to a single address and most people moved online.
PA1A is the form you need if there's no will; PA1P is the form if there is one.
No — PA25 isn't a current numbered HMCTS form.
It's sometimes used informally for power reserved: a named administrator who doesn't apply now but keeps the right to apply later while another entitled person proceeds.
That's recorded inside the application itself, not filed as a separate form.
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Where this fits
PA1A is one form. The file behind it is the rest.
Forms are easier when the records are ready.
For PA1A, that means the death certificate, evidence of your relationship to the deceased and of who else is entitled under the intestacy rules (children, issue, any previous marriages), any renunciations from equally-entitled relatives, and the estate values — accounts, property, and assets — you will declare in the application or on the IHT400.
When you're ready — not before — our £179 Executor's First Hour walks you through registering the death, notifying banks and pensions, and getting probate started, in the right order. The free checklist above covers the essentials; this is for when you'd rather have a hand to hold. Executor's First Hour — £179 →
HMCTS Probate Registry·32 fields·£526 court fee for estates above £5,000 (no fee for estates under £5,000); £2 per sealed copy of the Grant·1–1.5 hours with Valoren
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