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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I cannot say enough by way of thanks to this company. I was helped numerous times either by email or by booking a ‘call back’ and nothing seemed too much trouble. I could not have completed this application for probate without their assistance that’s for sure. What they say is so true – you have to supply a Solicitor with the information they need to complete the application so why not use YouCanDoProbate for a fraction of the Solicitor’s cost and do it yourself! All the information you supply is automatically put onto the application form so no writing involved. A massive thank you to Tom for all your help and patience!
This service isn’t easy but it is brilliant! From our previous experience of using a solicitor for probate, who asked us to do 80% of the work, searching for bank records, certificates etc. etc. this service was difficult, not easy, but well worth it! The support team are excellent and help with those questions you can’t easily answer. Google helps immensely also. But the real benefit is saving at least 2% up to 5% of an inheritance. That would be most of one of my late mother-in-law’s grandkids inheritance. Bargain price makes it worth it! I am happy to strongly recommend this excellent service!
This was money well spent made life so much easier and prevented any time being wasted by not sending all relevant documents and having to re submit.
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
I am so glad that I chose to invest in this software. It is a simple tool which guides you through the process in a very clear way. Firstly you can input the required information about the estate (which you would have to collate and provide to a solicitor anyway) and it then determines which forms need to be populated to apply for probate (and inheritance tax), and populates them correctly. It has saved us a lot of time and money . The customer support team are very knowledgeable, helpful and friendly, and easy to get hold of. Thank you for making this a smooth process at a difficult time. Our grant of probate was received today which was only 5-6 weeks after receipt of the application by the probate office at a time where the probate office are quoting 8 week lead times to acknowledge probate application receipt.
The process was simple and the support provided spot on.
All easy to understand and any queries answered quickly and professionally. Tough I was sceptical at first I would now definitely recommend youcandoprobate.
So easy always called if you have a problem super helpful
Probate is a tricky (and potentially expensive) area for most people to navigate. YouCanDoProbate really does make it possible for anyone who is moderately computer literate to successfully put in an application themselves. The website is arguably the best of its kind that I have ever used. I needed to have four phone consultations to reassure me on various points. The calls were prompt, unrushed, and with someone who really knew what they were talking about. Brilliant.
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
My wife died recently and left £130K in ISA’s and savings. I was stimulated to try You Can Do Probate by a solicitor’s quote of £4000 to do the same! Idid this online with the assistance of one of my daughters. The process was well explained, methodical and easy to follow. I submitted all documentation to the Probate Office on 27 Sept. The acid test is whether or not is accepted by that office. I’ll let you know.
An excellent service. The team are happy to talk you through the options before you commit and make sure that the software will work for your circumstances. Once you get started it is easy to use and save your work. Very good and recommended.
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