Going it alone or YouCanDoProbate?
How we compare against applying on your own.
YouCanDoProbate guides you through every step, completes all your forms, handles every calculation and exemption, and makes sure every form is complete and every calculation handled before anything is generated. All for one fixed price of £499. No legal knowledge needed.
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Call 0800 689 1447 · Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm
If you are thinking of going it alone
These are the realities most people only discover when they start on their own
Most people who attempt probate alone do not know what they do not know until something goes wrong. These are the issues people wish someone had told them about before they started.
Which forms do you actually need to apply
PA1P or PA1A for the probate application. IHT400 and stacks of supplementary schedules when inheritance tax forms are involved. Identifying the wrong forms delays your application significantly.
How to calculate the estate correctly
Every asset, every liability, every deduction, calculated at the right date in the right way. One error throws the entire estate calculation and can result in the application being returned.
Which exemptions apply to your estate
The Transferable Nil Rate Band and Residence Nil Rate Band can eliminate or significantly reduce an inheritance tax liability. Most people applying alone miss one or both and overpay as a result.
The documentation is difficult to understand
Even when you find the right instructions, they are written for professionals, not ordinary people. Dense, ambiguous and easily misread. A small misinterpretation at this stage can affect the whole application.
How do you know if you've done it correctly?
There is no built-in check and no one reviewing your work. If something is wrong you will only find out when the application is returned weeks later. By which point you may need to start that section again from scratch.
There's limited to no help available
If you have ever tried to contact HMCTS or HMRC you will know how difficult it is to get through, let alone get a useful answer. Official support for people applying alone is extremely limited.
Everything
done for you.
Everything the platform does that you would otherwise do alone
The difference between applying alone and applying with YouCanDoProbate.
You still provide the estate information. The platform does everything else that going it alone would leave entirely up to you.
You don't need to know what forms you need
No working out which of the dozens of probate and inheritance tax forms your estate needs. The platform identifies them all automatically from your answers.
Calculates the whole estate automatically
Total assets, total liabilities, net estate value and any inheritance tax liability. All calculated automatically at the correct dates.
Applies every available exemption for you
You don't even need to know what exemptions can be used. Transferable and Residence Nil Rate Bands and every other available exemption, identified and applied so you do not overpay.
Completes every form for you ready to submit
Every form filled from your answers, accurately and compliantly. You never face a blank government form or wonder what goes in each box.
Everything correct and compliant
The platform will not generate your forms until every section is finished. Nothing can be left blank or incomplete. Your forms are generated only when everything is in place.
Unlimited support and guidance every step
Plain-English questions with built-in guidance, video instruction and unlimited support from our experts. You always know what is being asked and why.
The easiest way
to do it yourself.
Doing it yourself is right, but...
Applying for probate yourself is entirely possible, but YouCanDoProbate is the best way to do it.
There is no legal requirement to use a solicitor to apply for probate. Thousands of people apply themselves every year. The challenge is not the concept. It is the execution.
Without guidance, without automatic calculations and without anyone checking your work, applying alone means carrying all the risk of getting it wrong. YouCanDoProbate removes that risk. You are still the executor. You are still the one making the application. The platform just makes sure it is done properly.
“I was terrified about tackling Probate on my own, but the Bereavement Association recommended YouCanDoProbate.”
Karen
Verified Trustpilot Review
How we compare
Applying alone vs YouCanDoProbate.
Here is how the two routes compare on every measure that matters to someone applying for probate themselves.
Scroll right to see full table
How we compare
YouCanDoProbate
Doing it yourself
Cost
£499 fixed
Free forms
Step-by-step guidance
None provided
Forms completed for you
No, you complete them
Right forms chosen
Often confusing
Estate calculations done
Yours to work out
Inheritance tax worked out
Complex and risky
Exemptions applied correctly
Easy to miss
TNRB and RNRB handled
Often missed entirely
Risk of errors or rejection
Significantly reduced
Higher
Support if you get stuck
Unlimited expert support
Online forums and guesswork
Save progress anytime
Not applicable
Typical Grant timeline
3 to 6 weeks from posting
Variable, higher error risk
Scroll right to see full table
“Very easy to follow step by step instructions”
Dougie
Verified Trustpilot Review
We're rated
Excellent.
Real stories from real people
From people who considered going it alone and chose YouCanDoProbate instead.
Thousands of people have used YouCanDoProbate to apply for probate themselves, with the confidence that comes from expert support at every step.
A game-changer
“It has been a real game-changer streamlined the process and lifted the burden of endless paperwork.”
Lilly
Verified Trustpilot Review
Easy to read
“Questions were easy to read - specified what information was required.”
Marie Holdaway
Verified Trustpilot Review
Go at your own pace
“It was all clear and concise instructions. You could leave the site at anytime and all your work is saved so you can go back to where you left off.”
W.m.porteous
Verified Trustpilot Review
Sorted quickly
“It was so easy ,a couple of teething problems that were sorted out quickly by the contact team .”
Mr huntbach
Verified Trustpilot Review
Easy and straightforward
“I found this service was very easy to use and straightforward. I have given it a 5 star rating and I would recommend it.”
Sandra Young
Verified Trustpilot Review
Complex made simple
“Provided clear and precise instructions as to what needs to be done. Made a complex process straight forward, especially for relatively simple estates.”
Dean
Verified Trustpilot Review
“The process from start to finish was so easy and the site actually walks you through everything you need to do”
Stephen White
Verified Trustpilot Review
One fair
fixed price.
How much does it cost?
No hidden extras. No hourly rates. No percentage of the estate.
The price you see is the price you pay, whether your estate is simple or involves inheritance tax.
One time payment
£499
including VAT
The only additional cost is the official £526 Probate Registry fee for estates over £5,000, paid directly to HMCTS by cheque or postal order enclosed with your printed application.
Want to talk to us first?
Call 0800 689 1447 · Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm
Call 0800 689 1447 · Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm
Try it risk-free.
14 Day Money Back
Guarantee
Guarantee
T&Cs apply.
What's included?
Everything you need to apply, in one price
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Probate forms completed for you
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Inheritance tax forms completed when required
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Guided, step-by-step probate journey
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Automatic estate calculations and exemptions
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Full submission guidance: what to send, where, and how
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Unlimited support by phone, email, live chat and ticket
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Integrated written and video guidance
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Save your progress and return any time
Available for
almost any estate.
Who can use YouCanDoProbate?
YouCanDoProbate works for nearly any estate in England and Wales
The platform is designed to support almost any estate in England and Wales, including those with an inheritance tax liability. There are some situations where it is worth speaking to us first, and the small number of cases where a different route would serve you better.
You can use our platform when
The person died on or after 1 January 2022
If the death was before this date please call us on 0800 689 1447 as we may still be able to help you on our legacy platform.
They were domiciled (or a long-term UK resident living) in England or Wales
You cannot use the platform if the deceased was not domiciled in England or Wales or if they were married or had a civil partner, their surviving spouse was not domiciled in England or Wales.
Not sure? Call us before registering and we will tell you honestly. Call 0800 689 1447 · Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm
Died with a valid Will or without a Will
Assets outside the UK
PA1P and PA1A Probate forms
IHT400 IHT forms inc. all schedules
Spousal and Charitable exemptions
Transfer of Nil Rate Band (TNRB)
Residence Nil Rate Band (RNRB)
Transfer of Residence Nil Rate Band (TRNRB)
Worth a quick chat with us first
You may still be able to use the platform in these situations. Please speak to us before you start.
A claim for a Reduced Rate of Inheritance Tax. (Not available in the platform but can be completed independently).
When you cannot use the platform
In addition to the domicile outside of England or Wales if any of the following apply to the person who died or their estate you cannot use our platform.
Common questions
Some quick answers.
You are paying for the technical work, the guidance and the safety net. Free means finding the right forms, doing every calculation, applying every exemption and submitting with no one checking your work. YouCanDoProbate does all of that for you. Nothing is generated until every section is complete.
Yes. The only additional cost is the £526 Probate Registry fee for estates over £5,000, paid directly to HMCTS. That fee applies whether you apply alone or through the platform. No hourly rates, no percentages, no extras.
Unlimited support is included. Phone, email, live chat, ticket and screen share with real UK-based people who know probate. Going it alone, there is no one to call. With YouCanDoProbate, there always is.
YouCanDoProbate covers the vast majority of estates in England and Wales, with or without a Will and including those with an inheritance tax liability. Not sure? Call us before registering. 0800 689 1447.
Click Get Started, complete your registration and payment, and you have immediate access to the platform. Work through it at your own pace with no deadline and no time pressure.
Still not sure about something? Call us on 0800 689 1447 · Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm
Want to know more first?
See the price
One fixed price of £499. Here is exactly what that covers.
See how it works
See exactly how straightforward this is, from your first question to your completed forms.
Got questions?
Every question answered about the platform, the price and the process.
Do it yourself. Without doing it alone.
Less cost. Less time. Less stress.
You apply for probate yourself, with the platform doing the technical work and expert support whenever you need it. Your Grant of Probate, applied for by you, for £499.
Try it risk-free · 14 Day Money Back Guarantee
Call 0800 689 1447 · Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm
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