You may be eligible to use this free service if you:
Don't have regular access to a device or the internet
Don't feel confident completing online forms
What is probate?
Probate is the legal process of handling the estate of someone who has passed away. If you believe you are entitled to manage the estate of a deceased individual, you may need to apply for probate.
How to check probate is needed:
Contact the financial organisations the person who died used (for example, their bank and mortgage company) to find out if you’ll need probate to get access to their assets. Every organisation has its own rules.
You may not need probate if the person who died:
Only had savings
Owned shares or money with others - this automatically passes to the surviving owners unless they have agreed otherwise
Owned land or property as ‘joint tenants’ with others - this automatically passes to the surviving owners.
Can I apply for probate?
Only certain people can apply for probate.
Who can apply depends on whether or not there’s a will. If there’s a will, executors named in it can apply. In the instance there’s not a will, the closest living relative can apply.
Value the estate and work out the Inheritance Tax:
Applying for probate depends on if you need to pay inheritance tax or not.
Fee
For details on the fees to apply for probate, visit the Gov.uk website
For information on help to pay your court and tribunal fees visit the Gov.uk website
Please be aware this service does not provide legal advice or technical support for issues encountered when filling in an online form (such as error messages and frozen pages).
