What are Letters of Administration?

Letters of Administration is the legal document issued by the Probate Registry when someone dies without a valid Will. It gives the named administrator the same authority to deal with the estate as a Grant of Probate gives to an executor. Without it, banks, the Land Registry, and other organisations will not release or transfer the deceased’s assets.

When are Letters of Administration needed?

• The deceased died without leaving a valid Will
• A Will exists but there is no executor named, or no executor willing and able to act

Who can apply?

The Rules of Intestacy determine who has priority. In England and Wales:

• A surviving spouse or civil partner comes first
• Adult children come next if there is no surviving spouse or civil partner
• Other relatives follow in a defined order

Unmarried partners have no automatic right to apply, regardless of how long the relationship lasted.

How does the application work?

The application uses form PA1A and is submitted to the Probate Registry alongside the death certificate, the completed HMRC IHT forms, and the £526 application fee for estates over £5,000. YouCanDoProbate supports Letters of Administration applications fully, completing the PA1A and all required IHT400 forms automatically.