Doing probate yourself
An executor can apply directly, and for a straightforward estate the only unavoidable cost is the court fee.
What this covers
The executor applies online or on paper, and the probate registry deals with executors directly every day. For a valid will, a handful of accounts and no inheritance tax to pay, it is a genuine option.
The cost is the application fee plus extra copies of the grant. What you take on in exchange is the time, the record keeping and the personal liability.
Common questions
- What does applying yourself actually cost?
- The probate application fee set by HM Courts and Tribunals Service, plus a small charge for each additional office copy of the grant. Check the current figures on gov.uk before you budget.
- When is doing it yourself a bad idea?
- When there is no will and the family is complicated, when inheritance tax is payable, when the estate holds a business or a trust interest, or when anybody has indicated they may challenge the will.
What would this cost for your estate?
Tell us what you are dealing with once, and firms that publish a price for this work come back with one for your estate. It costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
Related
Part of probate and estate administration. Every figure on this site comes from the published fee dataset.