Probate in the UK: when you need it, what it costs, and how to do it
Everything an executor needs in one place, written plainly and checked against the official sources.
Short answer
Probate is the legal authority to deal with someone's money and property after they die. You need it when they held assets in their sole name above the limit each organisation sets, or owned a home that was not jointly held. In England and Wales the application fee is £526 for estates over £5,000. 44% of grants issued in April to June 2026 were personal applications.
- Court fee, England and Wales
- £526 for estates over £5,000, free below
- Time for the grant
- Usually 8 to 16 weeks after a complete application
- Whole estate
- Many months, sometimes over a year
- Called in Scotland
- Confirmation, through the sheriff court
- Solicitor needed?
- No, for straightforward estates
- Deadline to apply
- None, but inheritance tax is due 6 months after death
When do you need probate?
Probate, or Confirmation in Scotland, is the document that proves you have the legal right to collect and distribute someone's estate. Whether you need it depends on what they owned and how it was held, not on whether they left a will.
You will usually need it if any of these apply:
- •They owned a home or land in their sole name, or as tenants in common
- •A bank, building society or share registrar holds more than its own release limit
- •There is a sole-name investment, ISA or share portfolio
- •An insurer or pension scheme asks to see the grant before paying out
You usually will not need it if everything was held jointly and passes to the survivor, or if every sole-name balance sits under the holder's limit. Those limits vary a lot, which is why we publish what each UK bank releases without probate and how long probate takes right now.
What does probate cost in 2026?
There are two separate costs: the court fee, which is fixed and published, and whatever you pay someone to help, which is not.
Court fees by nation
| Nation | Estate value | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | Estate of £5,000 or less | No feeGOV.UK, Applying for probate: fees |
| England and Wales | Estate over £5,000 | £526Flat fee, whatever the estate is worth. The same fee applies whether you apply yourself or through a solicitor.GOV.UK, Applying for probate: fees |
| England and Wales | Extra official copies of the grant | £2 each with the application, £16 each afterwardsOrder several with the application. Banks and registrars want an official copy, not a photocopy.GOV.UK, Applying for probate: fees |
| Scotland | Estate of £50,000 or less | No feeSheriff Court Fees Order 2026 |
| Scotland | Estate over £50,000 and up to £250,000 | £351Rises to £362 on 1 April 2027.Sheriff Court Fees Order 2026 |
| Scotland | Estate over £250,000 | £705Rises to £726 on 1 April 2027.Sheriff Court Fees Order 2026 |
| Northern Ireland | All applications | Set separately by NICTSNorthern Ireland probate fees rose by 5 per cent on 1 April 2026, with further rises due in 2027 and 2028. Check the current figure with the Probate Office before you apply.Court of Judicature (Non-Contentious Probate) Fees (Amendment) Order (NI) 2026 |
Fees last checked September 2026 by Naomi Jackson
The four ways to get it done
| Route | Typical cost | £300k estate | £700k estate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Do it yourselfYou apply online or on paper, deal with the banks and HMRC, and distribute the estate. | Court fee only, plus copies | £526 court fee, plus copies | £526 court fee, plus copies |
| Fixed-fee grant onlyA firm prepares and submits the application. You still do the banks, the selling and the distribution. | £400 to £1,500 plus VAT, plus the court fee | £900 to £2,100 | £900 to £2,100 |
| Solicitor, hourly rateFull administration, billed for the time actually spent. | £150 to £350 an hour plus VAT, usually 15 to 40 hours | £3,000 to £10,000 | £4,000 to £14,000 |
| Solicitor, percentage of the estateFull administration, charged as a percentage of what the estate is worth. | 1 to 5 per cent of the estate, sometimes plus an hourly element | £3,000 to £15,000 | £7,000 to £35,000 |
Court fees are published by GOV.UK and the courts. Professional fees are typical UK ranges quoted by probate firms and solicitors, not a published tariff, so treat them as a guide and always ask for a written quote.
The worked examples include the England and Wales court fee. A percentage charge is almost never the cheapest option on a larger estate, because the work does not double when the house is worth twice as much.
Can you do probate yourself?
Yes. Around four in ten grants are applied for personally. You apply through the GOV.UK online probate service, declare the estate's value, pay the fee and wait for the grant. The hard part is rarely the form; it is gathering date-of-death valuations from every bank, pension and share registrar first, and getting the inheritance tax position right.
Read can I do probate myself for the step-by-step, or do I need a probate solicitor for the cases where doing it alone is a false economy.
How to choose a probate solicitor
If you do want help, the difference between firms is mostly about how they charge and how they communicate. In short: get a written quote that itemises the work, avoid open-ended percentage charges, check the firm is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (or the Law Society of Scotland or Northern Ireland), and ask who will actually handle the file day to day.
The full list of questions is in what makes a good probate solicitor.
How long does probate take?
Expect around 8 to 16 weeks for the grant once a complete application is submitted, longer if HMRC needs to process an inheritance tax account first. The whole estate usually takes 6 to 12 months, and longer if a property has to be sold or the estate is taxable. There is no deadline for applying for probate, but inheritance tax is due six months after the end of the month of death, so tax often sets the pace.
Everything on probate
What is probate?
The plain-English guide: what it means, when you need it, costs and how to apply.
Probate Preparation
Gather estate information, see what is missing and build a preparation pack for applying yourself.
Do I need probate?
The checks that decide it: sole-name assets, property, and each bank's limit.
Is probate required? Checker
Answer a few questions and get a straight answer for your situation.
What each bank releases without probate
Published limits for 33 UK banks and building societies, with their own links.
Can I do probate myself?
What the DIY route actually involves, and the points where people get stuck.
How much does probate cost?
Court fees, solicitor fees and what a fair quote looks like.
Do I need a probate solicitor?
An honest list of when you don't, and the cases where you really should.
What makes a good probate solicitor
The questions to ask, the fee structures to avoid, and how to check they're regulated.
What a probate solicitor actually does
Task by task, against what you could do yourself.
Probate without a will
Letters of administration, who can apply, and who inherits.
Letters of administration
Who can apply when there is no will, the order of priority and the £526 fee.
Executor of a will
What the job involves, what you are liable for, and how to say no.
What is estate administration?
The whole job of settling an estate, and how it differs from probate.
How long does probate take?
Realistic timings for the grant and for the whole estate.
Do I need probate? The full report
How often a grant is genuinely required, and how to get a straight answer for your estate.
Why does probate take so long?
Where the months actually go, and the four things that genuinely speed it up.
Estate administration vs probate
One document against the whole job, and where the grant fits into the ten steps.
Probate vs inheritance tax
HMCTS and HMRC, two deadlines, and who you should pay to help with each.
Probate providers compared
DIY, fixed fee, solicitor, bank or estate admin firm, on cost and what you still do.
Executor vs family: who can do what
Why next of kin has almost no legal power, and what the family can still do.
What to do if there is no will
The first steps, who can apply, and how the intestacy rules decide the rest.
Common questions
Do I always need probate when someone dies?
No. Probate is needed when the person held assets in their sole name above the limit each organisation sets, or owned a property that was not held as joint tenants. Jointly held money and property usually passes to the survivor without a grant.
How much is the probate application fee?
In England and Wales the application fee is £526 for estates over £5,000, and there is no fee at or below £5,000. Extra official copies of the grant cost £2 each when ordered with the application and £16 each afterwards. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own fee scales.
Do I need a solicitor to get probate?
No. Most executors of straightforward estates apply themselves through the GOV.UK online service. A solicitor is worth the cost when the estate is taxable, the will is disputed, there are overseas assets, a trust, a business, or beneficiaries who cannot be traced.
How much do solicitors charge for probate?
Typical UK ranges are £400 to £1,500 plus VAT for a grant-only fixed fee, £150 to £350 an hour for full administration, or 1 to 5 per cent of the estate's value where the firm charges a percentage. Always ask for a written, itemised quote and compare at least two firms.
How long does probate take in the UK?
Getting the grant and finishing the estate are different stages. In England and Wales, GOV.UK says you will usually receive the grant within 12 weeks of applying, although some applications take longer. Preparing the application and dealing with accounts, tax, debts and property add time. The whole process can take many months and sometimes longer than a year.
Can I apply for probate myself online?
Yes. In England and Wales most executors apply through the GOV.UK online probate service, paying the fee by card and posting the original will and death certificate afterwards. The work is in gathering the estate values first, which Probate Preparation helps with.
Who pays the probate fee?
The fee is an estate expense. The executor usually pays it up front and is repaid from the estate once the money is released, or some banks will pay it directly from the deceased's account.
What happens if there is no will?
The closest relative under the intestacy rules applies for letters of administration instead of a grant of probate. The form and the fee are the same. See what happens if there is no will.
What is probate called in Scotland?
Confirmation. It is applied for through the sheriff court rather than HMCTS, using form C1, and the fee depends on the value of the estate.
Last checked September 2026 by Naomi Jackson
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Related guides
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What it means, when you need it, what it costs and how to apply yourself.
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