Yes. The first step in applying for a grant of probate (or letters of administration) is to contact all relevant organisations about the death, to gather the documentation on assets and debts. You can do this yourself, which means contacting all companies individually (often by phone), filling in multiple forms and sending off documents. Alternatively, a Probate Solicitor can do the same job for you. Whoever does  the job, it’s usually around 20 hours of admin effort.