Dealing with an estate
Help for Executors in England and Wales: What to Do, Step by Step
An executor tells organisations about the death, values the estate, applies for probate if it is needed, pays the debts and then pays the beneficiaries. Most people can do this themselves for a straightforward estate, and this page sets out each stage in order, with free tools, plain-English guides and the document packs that fit.
This page covers England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules. If you are here to plan your own estate instead, start with a will.
What does an executor do, and in what order?
- 1
The first days
Register the death, use the government's Tell Us Once service, find the will and arrange the funeral.
Pack for this stage: Executor Guide (£25)
- 2
Telling organisations
Banks, pension providers, insurers and utilities are not covered by Tell Us Once. Each needs telling, and each can give you a balance at the date of death.
Pack for this stage: Bereavement Letters and Notifications Pack (£19)
- 3
Valuing the estate
List what the person owned and owed on the date they died. The probate application asks for the totals, and HMRC may need details.
Pack for this stage: DIY Probate Pack (£59)
- 4
Applying for probate
You can apply yourself, online or by post. The fee is £526 for an estate worth over £5,000, and GOV.UK says the grant usually arrives within 12 weeks.
Pack for this stage: DIY Probate Pack (£59)
- 5
Collecting the money and paying debts
Send the grant to each organisation, gather the money into one account, then pay the funeral account, debts and any tax.
Pack for this stage: Estate Accounts and Distribution Pack (£24.99)
- 6
Paying the beneficiaries
Pay gifts under the will, share out what is left, and produce estate accounts for the beneficiaries to approve.
Pack for this stage: Estate Accounts and Distribution Pack (£24.99)
What are the fees and time limits?
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Probate application fee | £526 if the estate is worth over £5,000; no fee at or below that |
| Extra copies of the grant | £2 each with the application, £16 each later |
| How long the grant takes | Usually within 12 weeks of submitting the application |
| Executors on one application | Up to 4 |
| Inheritance Tax, if any is due | By the end of the sixth month after the death |
| Keeping records | HMRC can ask for them up to 20 years after Inheritance Tax is paid |
Sources: GOV.UK, probate fees, GOV.UK, paying Inheritance Tax and GOV.UK, records (checked 11 November 2026).
Which free tools can help?
Probate cost calculator
The court fee for applying yourself beside typical solicitor charges.
Open the tool →
Bereavement letters builder
Answer once and preview the letter that tells a bank or provider about the death.
Open the tool →
Estate inventory tool
List what the person owned and owed and see the totals as you go.
Open the tool →
Which document packs are there for executors?
Each pack is a set of self-help documents you complete yourself, in Word and PDF. They are not legal advice and have not been reviewed by a solicitor.
All five packs and both tools
Executor Complete Bundle
Everything a lay executor needs in one purchase, for England and Wales: the Executor Guide, DIY Probate Pack, Bereavement Letters Pack, Estate Accounts Pack and Deed of Variation Template, with both online tools and a start-here guide.
£89£162.98 if the five packs are bought one at a time
See what is in the bundleExecutor Guide
A 12-month walk-through for the person named to carry out a Will, in plain English.
Bereavement Letters and Notifications Pack
Twenty ready-to-send letters for telling banks, pension providers, insurers, utilities and others that someone has died, for England and Wales. Fill them in yourself in Word, or answer a few questions once and download every letter already completed.
DIY Probate Pack
A step-by-step pack for applying for probate yourself in England and Wales: an estate inventory tool that totals assets and debts, GOV.UK's excepted estate limits set beside your figures, a walkthrough of the online and paper routes, and a document checklist. You complete the application yourself.
Estate Accounts and Distribution Pack
An estate accounts template in Excel and Word, with interim and final distribution letters, beneficiary receipt and discharge forms and an executor expenses log, for England and Wales. Enter the figures once and the spreadsheet works out each beneficiary's share.
Deed of Variation Template
Redirect inherited assets within two years of a death, to save inheritance tax, benefit grandchildren, or correct an oversight. Solicitors charge £500–£1,500 for this.
What does an executor have to do?
An executor is the person named in a will to carry it out. The work is to register the death if nobody else has, tell organisations, value what the person owned and owed, apply for probate where it is needed, collect the assets, pay debts and any tax, and then pay the beneficiaries and keep accounts.
Can an executor do it all without a solicitor?
Yes, for a straightforward estate. An executor can apply for probate directly and deal with the estate personally. A solicitor is worth having where the will is disputed, the estate may not cover its debts, Inheritance Tax is likely to be due, or there are assets abroad, a business or a trust.
How much does probate cost if I apply myself?
The application fee is £526 if the estate is worth over £5,000, and there is no fee at or below that. Extra copies of the grant cost £2 each when ordered with the application and £16 each afterwards. Those are the court's charges; a solicitor's fees would be on top.
How long does an executor have to finish?
There is no fixed deadline for the whole job. The law says a personal representative is not bound to distribute the estate before one year from the death, and GOV.UK says probate itself usually arrives within 12 weeks of the application. Tax deadlines are separate: any Inheritance Tax is due by the end of the sixth month after the death.
Does WillSafe apply for probate for me?
No. WillSafe is not a firm of solicitors and does not prepare or submit probate applications or any probate or tax form. The packs explain each stage, give you letters, checklists and worksheets, and help you organise your own figures. You complete the application yourself on GOV.UK.