Can I Do Probate Myself?

Yes, and a great many people do. You can apply for probate yourself, online or by post, without ever speaking to a solicitor. The process is designed to be used by ordinary executors.

The application fee is £526 if the estate is worth more than £5,000, and nothing at all if it is £5,000 or less. A solicitor doing the same job typically charges a percentage of the estate, which on a modest estate can run to thousands.

At a glance

Can you do it yourself?: Yes
Application fee: £526 over £5,000
Estates of £5,000 or less: No fee
Apply: Online or by post via GOV.UK
Hardest part: Valuing the estate, not the form

Key Takeaways

Applying for probate yourself is normal and the system is built for it.
The fee is £526 where the estate exceeds £5,000, and there is no fee at or below that.
The application itself is usually straightforward — valuing the estate accurately is the harder job.
Inheritance tax, a disputed will, a business, or property abroad are the signals to get help.
Executors are personally liable for mistakes, which is the real reason to take advice when an estate is complex.

What doing it yourself actually involves

Four stages, and only one of them is the form.

1. Work out what the estate is worth. Contact every bank, pension provider, insurer and utility. Get a date-of-death valuation for any property — see house valuation for probate. List debts as well as assets. This is the slow part, and the part people underestimate.

2. Deal with inheritance tax. You must report the estate's value to HMRC even where no tax is due. If tax is payable, it generally has to be paid before probate is granted, which catches people out when the money is locked in the estate.

3. Apply for the grant. Online or by post through GOV.UK. You will need the original will, the death certificate and your valuation figures.

4. Administer the estate. Collect the assets, settle the debts, and distribute what remains according to the will.

When it is sensible to do it yourself

The typical DIY estate looks like this:

There is a valid will and you are the named executor.
The assets are straightforward — a house, some bank accounts, maybe an ISA.
No inheritance tax is due.
The beneficiaries agree and are on speaking terms.
Nothing is held abroad.

That describes a large share of estates, and there is no reason to pay a percentage of it away.

When to get help

Some of these are about difficulty; the last one is about risk.

Inheritance tax is payable. The forms are materially harder, and mistakes are costly. See equity release and inheritance tax if the estate involves released equity.
The will is being contested, or somebody is threatening a claim against the estate.
There is no will, and the intestacy rules decide who inherits — a common source of family disagreement.
The estate holds a business, agricultural land, or foreign property.
You cannot find the full picture — unknown accounts, missing paperwork, an unclear asset.
The beneficiaries are in dispute, in which case a neutral professional is worth every penny.

The risk executors underestimate

An executor is personally liable for getting it right. Distribute the estate and then discover an unpaid debt or an overlooked creditor, and you can be pursued for it personally — not the estate, you.

That is the genuine argument for professional help on a complicated estate. It is not that the paperwork is impossible. It is that the consequences of an honest mistake land on you.

For a simple estate with a clear will and no tax to pay, that risk is small and the saving is real.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a solicitor to get probate?

No. You can apply yourself online or by post through GOV.UK, and for a straightforward estate that is a perfectly normal thing to do.

How much does it cost to apply for probate?

£526 where the estate is worth more than £5,000. There is no fee if the estate is £5,000 or less.

How long does probate take if I do it myself?

The grant itself commonly takes a couple of months once applied for, but the whole job — valuing, applying, collecting and distributing — usually runs to several months or more. Doing it yourself is rarely the bottleneck.

What if inheritance tax is due?

You still can do it yourself, but the reporting is significantly more involved and the tax generally has to be paid before the grant is issued. This is the most common point at which people take advice.

Am I personally responsible if I get it wrong?

Yes. Executors carry personal liability, which is why a complex or contested estate is worth handing to a professional even though the application itself is doable.

General information only, not legal or financial advice. Where the stakes are high or the decision is hard to reverse, take advice from a suitably qualified professional.