FAQs
Is contacting companies a necessary step in applying for a Grant of Probate?
Yes. The first step in applying for a Grant of Probate (or Letters of Administration) is to contact all relevant organisations about the death, and get the values of all the accounts/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. Our notification service would cut out this work for you, saving an average of 20 hours of work.
When is probate not required?
You will probably not have to apply for probate if any one of these conditions apply to the estate: Joint assets only: If the estate is being passed in full to a spouse, civil partner, or charity Less than £5,000: The value of everything that the deceased owned in their own name is worth less than £5,000: or There were only savings and no other assets such as property, vehicles etc. Provided that you are either named as an executor, or you have permission from the other next of kin, you can distribute the assets according to the wishes of [...]
I don’t know if I need probate. Can I still use your service?
Yes. Our Probate Support package is designed to guide you through the early parts of the process so you can find out if you need probate or not.
What is a Grant of Probate/Letters of Administration?
A Grant of Probate confirms the authority of an executor to administer and distribute the estate of someone who has died. If there was no will, in England and Wales you’ll apply for Letters of Administration instead. In Scotland, you’ll be applying for Confirmation, with or without a will. Without a will there's a separate court process required to be appointed as the executor first.