Costs and fees
Probate: Do I Need a Solicitor or Lawyer?
This is one of the most common questions people ask when they find themselves dealing with Probate for the first time. The short answer is: for the great majority of estates, no. You do not need a solicitor to apply for Probate in England and Wales.
What is Probate, and who can apply?
Probate is the process of obtaining legal authority to deal with a deceased person’s estate, collecting their assets, paying any debts and taxes, and distributing what remains to the Beneficiaries. There is no legal requirement to use a solicitor. The Executor named in the will (or the next of kin where there is no will) can apply directly.
Why do people assume they need a solicitor?
Probate has historically been associated with solicitors. Firms have long marketed their services as a necessary intermediary, and many people at a difficult time simply defer to what feels like the safest option. The reality is that solicitors charge significant fees for a process that is mostly administrative rather than requiring specialist legal qualifications.
When might a solicitor actually be worth it?
- The will is being disputed or there are concerns about its validity
- The estate includes business assets requiring Business Property Relief
- There are complex trust arrangements
- Overseas assets are involved
- There are family disputes about entitlement or the interpretation of the will
- The estate is very large and the IHT position is genuinely complex
These situations describe a minority of estates.
What about most estates?
For the typical estate in England and Wales, a platform like YouCanDoProbate is a far more cost-effective route. The estate information you supply is the same regardless of who completes the forms. A solicitor simply takes what you tell them and translates it into the right paperwork. YouCanDoProbate does the same thing, at a fraction of the cost, with unlimited support from our UK-based expert team throughout.
What is the risk of doing it yourself?
The main risk of doing Probate entirely alone using only GOV.UK guidance is that the IHT400 and its supplementary schedules are detailed and easy to get wrong. An error can delay your application, prompt HMRC queries, or result in an incorrect tax calculation. YouCanDoProbate removes that risk by performing every calculation and applying every exemption automatically.
The easy and affordable way to apply for probate
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Was really concerned i would struggle with this but it was an absolute breeze. Great platform and so user friendly.
I was very impressed by the easy to use website that allowed filling-in, as the required information was collected. The completed probate application then emerged ready for signing. Difficulty with registering for the service after taking payment, caused by a server outage, was promptly solved by your team that rang back and guided me through the process.
I received my Grant of Probate two weeks after using this service. It was incredibly simple to use, the instructions and prompts were clear and concise. All the calculations were done for me. So much quicker than using a solicitor and much much cheaper. I made the application in between Christmas and New Year when most solicitors would have been closed. Probate was granted on 5th January. Using this service was money well spent.
easy to use, we where unsure on somethings but got help over the phone thankyou for your help.
Very prompt, efficient and friendly. Certainly helped me in difficult times. Very straight forward and the step by step forms were a great help.
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.
Luckily we came across the “YouCanDoProbate” website which instantly transformed the task of applying for Grant Of Probate into a much less time consuming much more straightforward and easy to follow process. Considerably cheaper than using a solicitor plus comprehensive & friendly support throughout the process from Tom. Would thoroughly recommend this service to anybody. Thank you.
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.
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.
The staff team were supportive and return calls were reasonably prompt, its important to account for other customers feeling swamped by the experience too. The online forms were clear and the finance running totals displayed at the top of the form so calculations are as exact to the info you put in to the form. I liked the fact that I felt more confident in completing probate, that I did not feel silly when asking questions. The team are respectful and account for the emotional situation you fnd yourself in.
Extremely helpful, friendly and super fast. I went to several solicitors and companies that offer probate – they were all so expensive. YOU DON’T NEED ANYONE. This is an amazing, user friendly system with as much support as you need. Highly reecommended.
Very professional set up. My contact Tom was knowledgeable friendly and efficient. I would recommend this service to anyone dealing with probate.
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