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The probate process

How Long Does Probate Take?

There is no single answer to this question because the timeline is made up of two distinct phases: the time it takes to prepare and submit the application, and the time the Probate Registry takes to process it.

Phase 1: preparing the application

Gathering estate information takes time. Banks may take several weeks to respond. Property valuations need to be arranged. For most estates, the preparation phase takes between four and sixteen weeks depending on how quickly information can be gathered. YouCanDoProbate lets you work at your own pace with automatic progress saving.

Phase 2: Probate Registry processing

Once a complete and correct application is received, most of our customers receive their Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration within 3 to 6 weeks of posting. Applications with errors or missing information take considerably longer.

What causes delays?

  • Incomplete or incorrect forms returned by the Probate Registry
  • HMRC queries about the estate valuation or IHT calculation
  • A disputed Will or a Beneficiary dispute
  • Complex assets requiring specialist input

A complete, accurate application is the best protection against delays. YouCanDoProbate does not generate your final forms until all required information has been captured.

Ready to begin?

The easy and affordable way to apply for probate

Register today and work through your application at your own pace, with unlimited UK-based expert support whenever you need it.
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Trustpilot five star rating
Outstanding product

I used this platform to complete my father’s HMRC and probate registry applications. The process was clear, straightforward, and easy to follow. I only needed to contact the company once for clarification, and they were very helpful. The platform guides you through questions about assets, gifts, and other estate details, then automatically populates the relevant HMRC and probate forms. It also provides the completed forms ready for printing and submission. Everything was accepted without issue, and probate was granted around eight weeks after submission. As a layperson, I found this service invaluable. It saved me thousands of pounds in legal fees, and I would highly recommend it to anyone handling probate for the first time

Simon Day
Trustpilot five star rating
Easy to use and great support – would recommend

I am a qualified accountant (although not a tax specialist, so no IHT experience), but even had that not been the case I’m sure I would have found the software easy and intuitive to follow. Helpline queries were answered very quickly and helpfully (within 24 hours). Absolutely didn’t need a solicitor. All 13 IHT forms were generated for me which I’d never have been able to do without help. I decided to apply for the probate certificate online to save time and just took the printout from the software and replicated it on the probate portal – again very easy.

customer
Trustpilot five star rating
Easy to do

Easy to do. Help always available. And it costs a lot less than solicitors. Excellent service.

Nick
Trustpilot five star rating
Easy to understand

Easy to understand, online forms easy to understand and complete. telephone back up very good

David Gray
Trustpilot five star rating
Solicitors wanted to charge me between…

Solicitors wanted to charge me between £2300 and £2700! They made it sound very complicated. I contacted this firm who offered a fixed fee of £500. Their online platform was easy to follow. When I ran into a couple of things I wasn’t sure of I called their helpline. They guided me through those areas and it was all sorted and posted off the same day. The solicitors had quoted me six to twelve months to get the Grant. I’ve just received it in six weeks! I don’t normally bother with writing reviews but felt I had to with this firm. They were superb. I’m just coming up to eighty and hate form filling. If I can do it , anyone can. Excellent.

Richard Buckingham
Trustpilot five star rating
Posted the completed Probate form and received the Grant of Probate letter 4 working days later…amazing service.

This was the first Probate I’d applied for. Initially, I assumed I’d have no choice but to go via a solicitor who would have asked me to gather all the information required yet charge thousands of pounds for the service. After carrying out further research online, I came across the YouCanDoProbate website, read their Trustpilot reviews and made some other sensible checks. I phoned them and had an initial conversation with Tom who was friendly and knowledgeable and asked several questions about the estate (it was over the individual IHT threshold but would be using the Transferable Nil Rate Band of a pre-deceased spouse) and he confirmed the platform would be able to deal with this. I was a little nervous initially about whether this was the right way forward but decided to go for it, signed up and paid the £499 fee which gave me access to the platform via my usual web browser so no special software needed. From then on, it was a relatively straightforward administrative task of putting in the information required. I loved that it saved all the information so that if I was interrupted or had to stop, I could just go back to it later and pick up where I’d left off. It went through the estate details very logically – personal info of all those involved – the deceased, pre-deceased spouse, executors, beneficiaries then assets, liabilities, expenses, gifts etc. After filling in all the required information, the platform then generated the Estate Summary (in my case showing there was no inheritance tax to pay and confirming that I didn’t have to fill in a separate form to send to HMRC). It had autofilled all the relevant information I’d input in the previous sections and made all the calculations for me with a detailed breakdown as to how the figures were arrived at. When I needed help and a bit of reassurance on 4 occasions via support ticket email, requesting a callback for a specific time or calling directly, Adam and Tom answered my queries quickly and knowledgeably and I was fully reassured that the forms had been completed correctly. Once I was satisfied with the Estate Summary details, I was able to move on and the system generated the autofilled Probate form which I could download and print off for review before signing. If anything needed to be amended, it was possible to go back and do so throughout the entire process before completing one stage and moving on to another. While I chose to complete the forms over the course of several days, I think it would be possible to complete the whole process in a few hours if there were no interruptions. On Thurs 28th May, I posted off the PA1P probate form with all the other relevant documents required including the probate fee postal orders (so no time waiting for a cheque to clear). I used the 1st class Royal Mail tracked service which was delivered the next day. I received an acknowledgement of receipt email on Mon 1 June with a reference number, another email on Tues 2 June confirming that Probate had been approved and, finally, on Thurs 4 June, I received the Grant of Probate letter in the post, 4 working days after sending off the application. I was expecting to have to wait 3 or 4 months for a response and am truly amazed at the speed of the turnaround. I cannot thank YouCanDoProbate enough. It is an amazing service, worth every penny of the £499 cost and I highly recommend it.

JA
Trustpilot five star rating
First class platform, service and support

Probably like so many, probate can be a little daunting once you start to look into it, so I did a little google search and came across YouCanDoProbate. Initially I was suspect, you have to be, but carrying out my own research everything came back good, so gave them a call. I can honestly say they are so so helpful and there online forms make the process so simple with the added benefit of having someone available (an actual person) should you need to either question something or looking for advise. The whole process to less thank 4 hours (with a few queries). All the forms, you actually need, are then printed off for you and or other executors to sign. Today, two and a half weeks since they were sent in, I received an email stating probate has been approved – wow. I’m so glad I went down this route, it removed so much headache and worry and I cannot recommend this service highly, hence 5 stars from me. Maybe the government should use the same platform, oh and lets not forget about the cost if you opt to use a solicitor, £499 to complete the forms and then another £300 for the court applcation/certification

Jason Whittaker
Trustpilot five star rating
The process was simple and the support…

The process was simple and the support provided spot on.

Sue Byrne
Trustpilot five star rating
We followed all the instructions on how to complete the form and would recommend this site to anyone.

We followed all the instructions on how to fill in the appropriate spaces. As it was done at the weekend there was no one to speak to but on Monday when I got in a bit of a muddle Tom talked me through what I had to do. It all worked out fine in the end & I would recommend them to anyone who wanted to tackle Probate themselves.

PATRICIA KENNARD
Trustpilot five star rating
Excellent! I wish I had found sooner

So, so easy. I wish I had found sooner as I put off doing probate thinking it would be bad but it was fine. I got a bit stuck and had a quick call and then all went through smoothly. Thank you, I would definitely recommend to all.

Carol Fennell
Trustpilot five star rating
Straightforward and easy to use system

Straightforward and easy to use system. Definitely recommended.

AlanT
Trustpilot five star rating
I can not recommend YouCanDoProbate more for a dedicated and high quality service!

Title : I cannot recommend YouCanDoProbate more for a dedicated and high quality service ! When I first registered with YouCanDoProbate I was dubious: as it was an on-line format and I am incredibly poor with anything electronic, but I need not have worried. As soon as I sent a pleas for help my emails were answered and followed up with a phone call from Tom or Adam on the same day, and often within an hour ! They both had lots of patience and understood my concerns (which were really minor issues !) I was never felt to feel foolish and always treated with respect and professionalism. I had recently helped my brother to obtain probate when his wife passed away, and he paid thousands of pounds to a Solicitor for much less than I have had to do with my case. I only hope my application is accepted, and I now have substantial records to refer to regarding the estate due to this process.

J Angus
AFFORDABLE FIXED PRICE
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£499

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Additional costs: The probate registry fee of £526 (for all estates over £5,000) and any additional official copies at £2 each. (Payable directly to HM Courts and Tribunals Service by cheque or postal order, enclosed with your application forms).
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© YouCanDoProbate • YouCanDoProbate is a trading name of Kabing Ltd.
YouCanDoProbate is an online platform providing legal forms and information. YouCanDoProbate is not a law firm and is not regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). Our online probate and inheritance tax service is an online platform providing probate and inheritance tax forms and information to allow you to complete inheritance tax returns and apply for probate yourself. Our telephone, email and livechat support provides guidance only, we do not provide bespoke advice, including estate planning or tax advice and it is not a substitute for a lawyer’s advice about complex estate planning or tax issues.
© Kabing Ltd | All Rights Reserved. Company number 12125399.

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