Top questions about applying for probate

Name: Probate
Brand: Farewill
Price: 595 GBP
Rating: 4.9 (18000 reviews)

Question 1

When is probate required?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 2

What is an executor of a will supposed to do?

Accepted Answer

When 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 assets of person who has died, 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.

Question 3

How much does probate cost?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 4

How long does probate take?

Accepted Answer

The whole probate and estate admin process can take 6 to 12 months It can take longer if you need to provide additional information. 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.

Question 5

Who is responsible for obtaining probate?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 6

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

Accepted Answer

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.

Award-winning, low-cost probate

Get specialist probate support

Grant of probate application

Submit the grant of probate application

You will need to:

Extra costs:

Our complete probate service

Assess and value the estate

Submit the grant of probate application

Close accounts, manage property, pay taxes and more

Extra costs:

Get your free quote online

What is probate?

Probate is a legal document

You may need to apply for probate even if there is a will

Find out if you need probate

How we help you save

Streamlined process

Prices are transparent and fixed upfront

You’ll get dedicated support

No face-to-face appointments

Get a free quote online

Prefer to talk?

We’re here to help

Top questions about applying for probate

We’re here to help