What is probate?
What is Probate, and do I need it?
What does Probate mean?
Probate is short for “a Grant of Probate.” It’s a legal document issued by the Probate Registry (part of HMCTS) that confirms the named Executors have the authority to deal with the deceased’s estate. Without this document, most financial institutions and the Land Registry will not release funds, transfer property, or allow assets to be dealt with.
If there is no Will, the equivalent document is called Letters of Administration. It serves the same purpose but is applied for by an Administrator (usually the closest next of kin) rather than an Executor. YouCanDoProbate supports both.
Do I need Probate?
Not every estate requires Probate. Whether you need it depends primarily on the types of assets held and how they were owned. As a general guide:
Probate is usually required when:
- The deceased owned property or land in their sole name
- They had bank or building society accounts above a certain value (thresholds vary by institution, but many require Probate for accounts over £5,000 to £25,000)
- They held investments, shares, or ISAs in their sole name
- They had life insurance policies not written in trust
Probate is usually not required when:
- All assets were jointly owned and pass automatically to the surviving owner
- The estate is very small (most banks have a small estates process for accounts under a set threshold)
- Assets were held in trust
- Life insurance policies were written in trust and pass directly to Beneficiaries
If you’re not sure whether you need Probate, the best first step is to contact each financial institution directly. Most will tell you their requirements.
When is Probate not required?
Joint assets pass automatically to the surviving owner without the need for Probate. A common example is a jointly owned property held as “joint tenants.” On the death of one owner, the property passes automatically to the surviving owner, and a death certificate is usually all that’s needed.
Bank accounts held jointly work the same way. The surviving account holder can continue to use the account without applying for Probate.
For small estates, many banks have their own small estates process that allows them to release funds without a full Grant of Probate. The threshold varies by institution, so it’s worth checking with each one.
YouCanDoProbate completes all your forms for you
No legal knowledge needed. One fixed price of £499. Most customers receive their Grant within 3 to 6 weeks of posting.
How long does Probate take?
There are two timeframes to consider. First, the time to prepare and submit the application, which depends on how quickly you can gather the required information and complete the forms. Second, the time for HMCTS to process the application once it’s been posted.
Most of our customers who use YouCanDoProbate receive their Grant of Probate within 3 to 6 weeks of posting their completed application. Some receive it faster. Processing times at HMCTS vary and are outside our control, but submitting an accurate and complete application from the start reduces the risk of delays.
Can I apply for Probate without a solicitor?
Yes. There is no legal requirement to use a solicitor to apply for Probate in England and Wales. Many people apply themselves successfully.
The challenge of going it entirely alone is that the process involves calculating the estate, applying Inheritance Tax exemptions, determining whether IHT forms are required, choosing the correct forms, and completing them accurately. These are manageable steps, but they require care and an understanding of the rules.
YouCanDoProbate handles all of that for you. You enter the same information you’d give a solicitor, and the platform completes all your Probate and Inheritance Tax forms, applies every exemption, and gives you step-by-step submission guidance.
What does it cost?
Applying for Probate yourself involves two costs.
The government Probate Registry fee: £526 for estates over £5,000, paid directly to HMCTS. This fee applies regardless of which route you take, solicitor, DIY, or an online platform.
If you use YouCanDoProbate: a one-off platform fee of £499 including VAT, which covers the guided walkthrough, all your completed forms, and unlimited support throughout.
If you use a solicitor: fees typically range from £1,500 to £10,000 or more for a straightforward estate. Some solicitors and banks charge a percentage of the estate value, which on larger estates can be significantly more.
The easy and affordable way to apply for probate
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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!!!
First time having to go through the probate process, so used this service for peace of mind.had. A call back very quickly on a query I had sent the forms off and received my ref number after two weeks. And probate was granted the following week. Can’t recommend this service enough.
A very professional company and service, so easy to use from start to finish, but always available to answer any questions quickly, no matter how trivial, saved so much money compared to traditional solicitor. Highly recommend.
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
I wanted to have a go at doing probate myself but did not have the confidence to go it alone. This platform was the perfect compromise and saved us thousands in Solicitors fees. I work as a Digital Project Manager so I am computer literate, but I can confirm the platform is very user friendly and intuitive for anyone to use. I phoned the helpline once for advice and they called me back within 24 hours with helpful and friendly guidance. It was not an ‘accepted estate’ and there were several exemptions to be submitted. You Can Do Probate handled this with ease. After using the platform to generate the first set of estate summary forms for HMRC I received confirmation from them within 11 days of posting. I then printed and submitted the probate forms to HM Courts. It took 9 days to receive an approval email and the Certificate of Probate arrived in the post the next day. So from start to finish – 20 working days. We were shocked at the speed! I would highly recommend You Can Do Probate. Absolutely worth the purchase fee. Thank you for making a really difficult time a little easier to navigate.
So easy always called if you have a problem super helpful
YouCanDoProbate was great and took you carefully through all the questions & areas that are needed to complete and submit Probate forms and calculate any IHT payable. It may seem a daunting task, but taking it one section at a time, I was able to complete and obtain probate saving thousands in Solicitors fees. Most of the information you are going to have to obtain yourself, even if using a Solicitor.
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.
This was a god send to me, made it all so simple and the support you receive if you have any questions or get stuck is amazing.
I found You Can Do Probate really helpful, polite, they were very patient with me when I had a problem, and when I rang and left a message, they always came back to me, the proof of the pudding will be if my submission goes through successfully.
Easy to follow, well guided
After revisiting the IHT400 form several times and googling some of the terms used, stumbled upon You can do Probate. I was a little sceptical about signing up as it was£499 versus a minimum of £2k for a solicitor. The site breaks everything down into manageable sections. provides plain English guidance and videos to help you complete the form. it turns out I did not have to use the IHT400 as I had an excepted estate. once everything is completed, click print form, signed and sent off. I had probate granted after 7 working days and the certificate after 9. I cannot recommend the service enough
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