How to apply for a Grant of Probate

What is a Grant of Probate?

A Grant of Probate is a legal document issued by HMCTS (His Majesty’s Courts & Tribunals Service) that confirms the executor’s authority to administer the estate. Banks, the Land Registry, and other institutions will accept the Grant as proof that you have the right to deal with the deceased’s assets.

If there is no will, the equivalent document is called Letters of Administration. The process is very similar — the key difference is the form used (PA1A instead of PA1P) and who is entitled to apply.

Who can apply?

With a will: The executors named in the will apply. If multiple executors are named, they don’t all have to apply — one or more can “renounce” (decline) and leave the others to apply.

Without a will: The “administrator” applies. Priority goes to: surviving spouse or civil partner, then children, then parents, then siblings (in order). The person with the highest entitlement who wants to act can apply.

What you need before applying

• The original will (and any codicils) — HMCTS will keep this permanently
• A certified copy of the death certificate
• The estate value — gross and net, as you’ll have calculated during the estate valuation phase
• An IHT reference number from HMRC if the estate is over the IHT threshold (you must submit IHT details to HMRC first)
• The application fee — currently £526 for estates over £5,000 (no fee at £5,000 or less). Payable by card online or by cheque with a paper application.
• Your own personal details — full name, address, date of birth, relationship to the deceased

The application forms

The main probate application forms are:

• PA1P — for estates where the deceased left a valid will (applying for a Grant of Probate)
• PA1A — for estates without a will (applying for Letters of Administration)

Both forms ask for the same core information about the deceased and the estate, but PA1A has additional sections about your entitlement to apply and the intestacy rules.

GOV.UK recommends applying online if you can. TidyEstate prepares an answers pack that follows the online application question by question — the deceased’s details, the will, the inheritance tax figures, the probate values and HMRC’s code — so you can copy the answers in and submit the application yourself. It also lists the documents you need to post afterwards. You check every answer and make the legal statement yourself.

Completing the application — what the form asks

• Full details of the deceased — name (including any aliases), date of birth, date of death, last address, domicile
• Whether the deceased was married or in a civil partnership at the time of death
• Whether the estate is an “excepted estate” for IHT purposes
• Gross and net estate values
• Number of death certificates attached
• Your details as executor (or administrator) — name, address, DOB, relationship to deceased
• A statement of truth (which you sign)

Where to send the application

Probate applications are sent to the HMCTS Probate Registry. You can apply:

• Online — via the HMCTS online probate service at gov.uk/applying-for-probate
• By post — send the completed form, original will, death certificate copy, and fee to the HMCTS Probate Registry (address on the form)

TidyEstate’s answers pack is written for the online route, and the same answers apply if you need to complete the paper form instead.

After you submit

HMCTS issues grants usually within 12 weeks of a correctly completed application — HMCTS recently reported around 5 weeks. They will write to you if they have any queries. Once approved, the Grant of Probate (or Letters of Administration) is posted to you.

You can order additional sealed copies of the Grant when you apply — useful for sending to multiple institutions simultaneously. Extra copies cost £2 each when ordered with the application (£16 each afterwards).

Keep a copy of the Grant safe. You may need it years later if further assets are discovered, or if questions arise about the administration.

Common reasons applications are delayed

• The will isn’t properly witnessed or executed (e.g. both witnesses were beneficiaries)
• The deceased’s name differs between the will and the death certificate
• Missing IHT reference number (required if IHT400 submitted)
• Fee not included or wrong amount
• Handwritten amendments to the will without proper attestation

TidyEstate’s guided workflow is designed to collect all required information upfront and flag potential issues before you submit.