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PROBATE · DIY GUIDE · ENGLAND & WALES

How to apply for probate without a solicitor

Most straightforward estates can be handled without a solicitor. The application fee is £526 for estates over £5,000.

This guide covers when DIY works, and the six situations where it does not.

Verified against GOV.UK on 22 Aug 2026
§1Is DIY right for you?

When you can handle it yourself — and when you cannot.

DIY probate is well within reach for a clean, simple estate. The risk is not the paperwork — it is missing a complexity that creates personal liability. Check the list below before you start.

DIY WORKS IF…
The estate has a clear will with named executors
Total value is under £325,000 (no inheritance tax)
All assets are in England or Wales
Beneficiaries are identified, contactable, and in agreement
No trusts, business property, or agricultural land
No creditors' disputes or contested claims
USE A SOLICITOR IF…
IHT400 required — estate over £325,000 (or exceeds nil-rate bands)
Contested — will disputed, or beneficiaries in conflict
Foreign property — assets outside England and Wales
Trusts — discretionary or life-interest trusts in the will
Business or agricultural property — specialist relief calculations required
Missing beneficiaries — whereabouts unknown
Insolvent estate — debts exceed assets

Not sure which category you're in? Executor's First Hour (£179) includes a one-page estate-complexity assessment that tells you definitively.

§2The process

Five steps from death certificate to estate closed.

Most DIY executors take 6–12 months from start to final distribution. The probate application itself takes 4–12 weeks to process once submitted.

1
Value the estate and check if IHT applies

List all assets and liabilities at the date of death. If the estate is under £325,000 (or up to £500,000 with the residence nil-rate band), no IHT applies and you can use the online service. If IHT is due, you must file IHT400 first — a task that typically warrants professional help.

2
Gather the documents

You will need: original will (if there is one), original death certificate, details of all assets and their values, and any marriage or civil partnership certificate. Banks and investment providers will each ask for a certified copy of the death certificate — order 8–10 at the time of death registration; they cost around £12.50 each from the register office.

3
Apply online or by paper

Online — HMCTS probate service at apply.probate.service.gov.uk (fastest). You'll need a GOV.UK account. Paper — form PA1P (estate with a will) or PA1A (no will). Send the originals to the Probate Registry. Fee: £526 (estates over £5,000). Order sealed copies of the grant at the same time as your application — they cost £2 each.

4
Wait for the grant

Processing typically takes 4–12 weeks once received. The Probate Registry may contact you with queries. Do not make any distributions from the estate before the grant arrives.

5
Collect assets, pay debts, distribute

Once you hold the grant, you can contact banks, investment platforms, and the Land Registry. Collect all assets into the estate account, settle debts and funeral expenses, then distribute to beneficiaries in the order the will (or intestacy rules) specifies. Obtain signed receipts from each beneficiary.

§3What it costs

DIY vs solicitor — the real numbers.

DIY PROBATE
£526
Application fee, estates over £5,000
+Application fee: £526
+Sealed copies of the grant: £2 each
+Your time: typically 20–40 hours over 6–12 months
+Executor's First Hour — complexity assessment + first 7 days: £179
SOLICITOR
£2,000+
Up to £15,000+ for complex estates
+Percentage of estate value (basis varies by firm)
+Hourly: £200–£400/hr (probate specialist)
+Full estate management: £5,000–£15,000+
+Disbursements + VAT on top

Solicitor fees are not regulated — always get a written quote before instructing. For a straightforward £250,000 estate, doing it yourself avoids professional fees that published examples put in a broad range of about £3,000–£8,000 including VAT. The saving justifies the time in most straightforward cases.

Don't want to find a solicitor yourself? Signum is the specialist practice in our group — qualified estate professionals, transparent fixed-fee quotes. Signum handles the cases where DIY isn't right.
§4Where DIY executors go wrong

The mistakes that create personal liability.

Distributing before debts are settled

Pay all known debts — funeral expenses, tax, outstanding bills — before making any distribution. Executors are personally liable for shortfalls if a creditor emerges after they have paid out.

Missing the s.27 Trustee Act notice

Advertise for creditors in the London Gazette and a local newspaper before distributing. After the two-month notice period, you are protected against unknown creditors. Skipping this leaves personal exposure.

Sending certified copies instead of originals

The Probate Registry requires original documents — the original will and original death certificate. Certified copies are rejected. Order extra death certificates at registration (it is cheaper than applying later).

Paying tax late

Inheritance tax due is payable by the end of the sixth month after death. Interest accrues on late payment. Pay HMRC before the grant arrives if possible — you can use funds from the deceased's bank account via a direct payment.

Not keeping accounts

You must produce estate accounts showing all assets collected, debts paid, and distributions made. Beneficiaries are entitled to see them. Keep every receipt and bank statement throughout.

§5Common questions

Frequently asked

Yes, in most straightforward cases. If the estate is under £325,000, there is no inheritance tax, all assets are in England or Wales, and beneficiaries are in agreement, you can apply online via the HMCTS probate service.

The application fee is £526.
DIY probate costs £526 plus £2 per sealed copy of the grant. Professional fees for the full administration of a relatively straightforward estate commonly fall within a broad range of approximately £3,000–£8,000 including VAT, though the final fee depends on the work required and what the quotation includes; court fees, statutory notices, valuations, conveyancing and other third-party costs are additional.

Some providers calculate all or part of their fee by reference to the estate's value, others use fixed fees, hourly rates or a combination of time and value — the engagement terms should state the charging method.

Where an estate is genuinely simple, DIY avoids those fees entirely. Where inheritance tax is payable, the will's validity is in doubt, or there are trusts, business or agricultural assets, foreign assets, a claim against the estate, missing beneficiaries or a beneficiary who lacks capacity, professional advice is usually appropriate.
Between 4 and 12 weeks from the date HMCTS receives your application, though backlogs can extend this.

Online applications tend to be processed faster than paper ones. You should not distribute the estate until you hold the grant.
Not always. Most banks will release funds under £5,000–£50,000 without a grant (thresholds vary by institution). If all assets pass by survivorship (joint accounts) or named beneficiary (pensions, life insurance), no grant is needed.

Probate is generally required to deal with property, investments, or larger bank balances.
The main form is PA1P (estate with a will) or PA1A (no will). If inheritance tax is due you must complete IHT400 before you can apply for the grant.

Most straightforward estates use the online HMCTS service, which replaces paper forms. Always send original documents — certified copies are not accepted.
Yes. Distributing assets before debts are settled, missing a creditor, or paying the wrong beneficiary can make an executor personally liable. The most common risk is distributing too early, before advertising for creditors (Section 27 Trustee Act 1925 notice).

Executors are also personally liable if they underpay inheritance tax.

Executor's First Hour

What to do in the first 7 days — a complete time-phased brief for executors.

Covers estate complexity assessment, which forms to use, the correct sequence for dealing with banks, and when professional help pays for itself.

Get the brief — £179
Related next steps
Probate or letters of admin?
Which application applies→
Letters of administration
No will — who applies and how→
Executor refusing to act
Three routes when an executor won't engage→
Joint bank account on death
Survivorship rules and what it means for probate→

Informational, not legal advice. Probate rules apply to England and Wales. Fees verified against GOV.UK on 22 Aug 2026.

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