What is probate?
When is Probate Not Required?
Not every death in England and Wales requires a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration. Whether you need one depends on how the deceased’s assets were owned and how much is involved.
Jointly owned assets passing by survivorship
If the deceased co-owned property or a bank account as a joint tenant (not a tenant in common), those assets pass automatically to the surviving owner on death. The surviving owner provides a death certificate and the asset transfers without a formal Grant.
Small estates below institutional thresholds
Most financial institutions will release funds without a formal Grant if the amount is below their internal threshold. This varies by institution and can range from around £5,000 to £50,000 or more. Contact each institution individually to confirm.
Assets passing outside the estate
- Life insurance policies written in trust pay directly to the named beneficiary
- Most pension death benefits are paid to nominated beneficiaries at the trustee’s discretion
- Some jointly held investments transfer automatically
When probate is definitely required
If the deceased owned property in their sole name, probate will almost always be needed. Similarly, bank accounts and investments above individual institutional thresholds held solely in the deceased’s name will generally require the formal Grant. If unsure, call us on 0800 689 1447 for a clear answer.
The easy and affordable way to apply for probate
Related articles
Although my application was fairly straightforward at my age I needed it to be stress free. The help I received and the clear instructions and information made it just that.
I only wish I’d found this service earlier., it has been invaluable. It made what felt a daunting task manageable in a time of great stress and upset. The phone support was also brilliant. I would highly recommend.
i recently used you can do probate and found the whole process quite straight forward , its a lot cheaper than engaging probate solicitors and the advice and support you can do probate offer is very good , if you need to book a call for advice you get it same day normally within the hour of booking it
When completing the forms, any query I had as soon as I emailed them they got back to me straight away. Also it would not let you finish the section until you had filled out all that was needed. Helpful that you could save and go back in when you had the answer you needed.
Fantastic service..best £399 ever spent. I had quotes for over £5000 from solicitors I sent off my probate form on the 28th Oct 2024 (hard copy) I received an email on the 18th November 2024 letting me know that they had received my applications. I have just received my email 30/11/24, that my probate application has been granted… Just under a month all done. I was holding off doing this job for months as I was struggling to find a solicitors that I liked.. I am so happy I came across this company.. Honestly if I can do it so can anyone!!!
After receiving a very expensive quote from a local solicitors I found this website and as an administrator myself thought how hard can this be. I read the reviews and watched the video before I purchased to make sure it was right for me. I followed the on-line steps and filled in the questions so a little bit of time and effort is required. I had 2 x queries which were dealt with within the hour once on the phone and once by email. Once the forms were complete, I printed off and posted to HMCTS Probate. I had an email from them confirming receipt on 19th June and I received an email yesterday 26th June telling me Probate had been granted so this website has done exactly what I needed it to do.
I signed up with trepidation having never had to do this before!! However I managed all the form filling with ease and much to my surprise did not have to telephone for help once. I am 70 years of age and would not describe myself as a computer expert in anyway and am a bit of a dinosaur! I would not hesitate to use this service again and will certainly recommend it if asked. For the record I received official notification and paperwork from HMC and Justices that probate had been granted within 21 days of posting the forms. Perhaps I was lucky but this service was idiot proof and saved me the cost of a solicitor.
Easy to understand, online forms easy to understand and complete. telephone back up very good
I was very impressed and encouraged with how easy it was to use this service; a welcome change at a time when it is difficult to process the loss of a loved one, and all the legalities that involves, I was given reassurance and confidence that I can, and did do probate. The process was made easier and less stressful knowing I could ask for help as and when I got stuck. Tom was very supportive and encouraging (and patient). The steps ensured that I could check each stage and return at any time to change or amend anything. Also thanks to those who answered the phone and reassured me that my messages would be passed on. A very positive experience and I have already recommended this service to others in a similar position to me. An excellent service. Mary Mc
Makes doing probate yourself possible, saving a lot of money on legal fees and considerably speeding up the process!
You can do probate is an excellent website, you can ring, email them and they answered my questions when I was not sure of the questions, we applied for probate in April and was granted second week in July. Thanks to everyone at You can do Probate. Use this site and you can save thousands of pounds.
Timely and efficient support at a sensible cost.
AFFORDABLE FIXED PRICE
Forms filled in for you
No expertise needed
Unlimited UK support
One time payment
£499
including VAT
Get started in 3 simple steps
Back Guarantee
T&Cs apply.
Monday to Saturday; 9am - 6pm
Trusted & Secure
