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Top questions about applying for probate

When is probate required?

Probate is required after around 50% of deaths in the UK and can be needed whether there is a will or not. If most of the assets were jointly owned or the estate’s value is less than £10,000, you may not need to apply for probate. In most other cases, applying for probate is an essential step in dealing with someone's estate.

Find out more about when probate is required here.

What is an executor of a will supposed to do?

In cases where probate is required, it's the executor's responsibility to apply for probate and deal with the estate. This may include gathering information about the deceased's assets, submitting the probate application, selling property, closing bank accounts and distributing funds to beneficiaries.

Farewill's Grant Only probate service can help you get a grant of probate for as little as £595. We also offer a Complete Probate service if you don't have the time or confidence to deal with the estate admin yourself, which we quote for on a case by case basis.

You can find out more about who can apply for probate here.

How much does probate cost?

The amount you’ll pay for probate depends on the type of services you need. 

If the estate is simple to sort out, or you have the time and confidence to handle the whole process, then Farewill’s Grant Only probate service starts at £595. Once you have the grant of probate, you’ll take responsibility for the estate administration, pay any debts and settle taxes, prepare the final estate accounts and distribute the estate to beneficiaries.  

If the estate is more complex, or just just don’t have the time and confidence to handle the process yourself, then our Complete Probate service starts at £1,500. We’ll give you a fixed-price quote before any work begins, and you’ll get a dedicated probate specialist to support you every step of the way. They will handle the legal, financial and tax affairs, prepare detailed accounts and pay beneficiaries for you. There are no upfront payments, and the cost of probate can be paid from the estate.

How long does probate take?

The whole probate and estate admin process can take 6 to 12 months The exact timelines will depend on the size of the estate, and how complicated it is to sort out. For the most complex cases, and for estates with properties, the process can take longer than a year.

The first step (getting you the legal probate document) can take up to 16 weeks This document is called the ‘grant of probate’, or ‘grant of letters of administration’ if there’s no will. HMRC says that you’ll usually get the grant of probate or letters of administration within 16 weeks of submitting your application. It can take longer if you need to provide additional information.

Once you’ve got your grant, there are two ways of doing things You can either sort out the estate yourself — including things like closing accounts, selling property and distributing assets to beneficiaries — or we can handle the estate admin and finances for you.

Find out how long probate could take for your situation.

Who is responsible for obtaining probate?

If there is a will, the executors named in the will are responsible for obtaining probate and distributing funds to beneficiaries. In cases where there is no will – or when the executors of the will have died or are unable to deal with the estate – the person who stands to inherit the residuary estate (once all debts and expenses are paid) usually handles the application.

How much money can you have in the bank before needing probate?

If the total value of the estate is less than £10,000, you probably won’t need to apply for probate. This is because banks are more willing to release smaller funds and assets without seeing a formal grant from the government.

In some cases, banks and other organisations have been known to release up to £50,000 without seeing a grant. So if you think the estate value is fairly small, check with the specific companies to see what their probate threshold is.

What do you need to do when someone dies?

Losing a loved one is a difficult thing to go through, so we’ve created a free guide to help make things a little bit easier. You can see our guide on what to do when someone dies here.

Prefer to talk to a specialist about your situation? Give us a call on 020 3695 2090 – we're here from Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm to help.

We’re here to help

Our specialists can help you work out of you need probate, how much it costs, and the different options available.

Call us today

020 3695 1713

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