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DIY Probate Kit UK: the DIY Probate Pack for Executors in England and Wales
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.
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Try it before you buy
The Estate inventory tool is included. It is free to fill in and preview, and your answers stay on your own device.
Open the estate inventory tool →What’s included
- Estate inventory tool: list assets, gifts and debts and download a typed Word inventory with every total
- The five values the probate application asks for, worked out from your own entries using GOV.UK's published method
- Excepted estate check: GOV.UK's conditions and limits as a checklist, with links to HMRC's own checker
- Walkthrough of the online application: what to have ready and what happens at each stage
- The paper route explained: which GOV.UK form applies, where it is sent and how the fee is paid
- Document checklist, who-can-apply table, and a fees and deadlines table
- Printable worksheets, as an editable Word document and print-ready PDF
Who it's for
- •Executors named in a will who want to apply for probate without a solicitor
- •Next of kin applying for letters of administration where there is no will
- •Straightforward estates in England and Wales: a home, savings, a few accounts
About this pack
Applying for probate yourself is allowed, and most of the work is preparation. You need to know what the person owned and owed on the date they died, add it up in the way the application asks, check what HMRC needs, and gather the right documents. The court fee is £526 for an estate worth over £5,000.
The pack has two parts. The guide (Word and PDF) explains each stage in plain English, with worksheets for assets, gifts and debts, GOV.UK's excepted estate conditions as a checklist, what to have beside you for the online application, how the paper route works, and a full document checklist.
The estate inventory tool does the adding up. List each asset and debt and it produces a typed Word inventory, with the five values the probate application asks for worked through line by line from your own entries, and GOV.UK's limits set beside them. It is free to try; the Word export comes with the pack.
This pack does not apply for you and does not complete, fill in or supply the probate application, form PA1P, form PA1A or any HMRC form. It never says whether Inheritance Tax is due or whether an estate is excepted. If tax is likely to be due, or the estate is disputed, insolvent or has assets abroad, use a solicitor.
This may not be right for you if…
- •Estates where Inheritance Tax is likely to be due, or you are not sure: take advice
- •Disputed wills, insolvent estates, assets abroad, businesses, farmland or trusts
- •Anyone who wants the application completed for them: this pack does not do that
In these cases, we recommend speaking to a solicitor.
Probate fees, deadlines and waiting times
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| 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 it takes | Usually within 12 weeks of submitting the application |
| Executors on one application | Up to 4 |
| Inheritance Tax, if any is due | Payable by the end of the sixth month after the death |
Source: GOV.UK, Applying for probate: fees (checked 11 November 2026)
Excepted estates: the limits GOV.UK publishes
| GOV.UK asks about | Limit |
|---|---|
| Inheritance Tax threshold | £325,000 |
| Estate where a late spouse's unused threshold is transferred | £650,000 or less |
| Estate left to a UK spouse, civil partner or qualifying charity | Less than £3,000,000 |
| Gifts in the 7 years before death | Full details needed if over £250,000 |
| Assets outside the UK | Full details needed if more than £100,000 |
| Assets held in trust | Full details needed if over £250,000 |
Source: GOV.UK, Check the type of estate (deaths on or after 1 January 2022; checked 11 November 2026)
What the pack does, and what you do yourself
| Step | The pack | You |
|---|---|---|
| Listing the estate | Inventory tool and worksheets | Enter each asset and debt |
| The five application values | Adds your entries up and shows the working | Check them and enter them on GOV.UK |
| Excepted estate | Shows GOV.UK's limits beside your figures | Confirm with HMRC's checker |
| The application | Explains each stage and what to have ready | Complete and submit it yourself |
| Forms PA1P and PA1A | Explains which applies and where it goes | Download from GOV.UK and fill in yourself |
Your questions answered
Can I apply for probate myself without a solicitor?
Yes. An executor named in the will, or the closest relative where there is no will, can apply directly online or by post. You value the estate, report to HMRC if needed, complete the application, pay the fee and send the original will. This pack guides you through each of those steps in order.
How much does DIY probate cost?
The application fee is £526 if the estate is worth over £5,000, and nothing at or below that. Extra copies of the grant cost £2 each when ordered with the application and £16 each later. Those are court fees paid to HMCTS and are separate from the price of this pack.
What is in the DIY Probate Pack?
A plain-English guide with worksheets, an excepted estate checklist, a walkthrough of the online application, an explanation of the paper route and a document checklist, in Word and PDF. It also unlocks the estate inventory tool, which totals the estate and exports a typed Word inventory with the five application values.
Does the pack fill in the probate application or form PA1P?
No. You complete the online application, or form PA1P or PA1A, yourself on GOV.UK. The pack explains what each stage asks for and helps you prepare your figures. Preparing probate papers for payment is reserved to authorised firms, and WillSafe is not a firm of solicitors, so the pack never produces the application.
What is an excepted estate, and will the pack tell me if mine is one?
An excepted estate is one where HMRC does not need full details, so you can apply for probate straight away. GOV.UK says most estates are excepted. The pack sets GOV.UK's limits beside your own figures and links to HMRC's checker. It does not give a verdict or say whether tax is due.
How does the estate inventory tool work?
You add a line for each asset, gift and debt, with its value on the date of death. Running totals are free. With the pack you download a Word inventory listing every item, with the five values the application asks for and the sum behind each. Your entries are not stored on our servers.
How long does probate take?
GOV.UK says you will usually get probate within 12 weeks of submitting the application, and that it can take longer if more information is needed. Paper applications take longer to process than online ones. If Inheritance Tax forms are needed, HMRC's part comes first and adds to the overall time.
Is this legal advice, and has a solicitor checked it?
No. This is a self-help pack that explains a process and helps you organise your own figures. WillSafe is not a firm of solicitors, the pack is not legal or tax advice, and it has not been reviewed by a solicitor. For a taxable, disputed or insolvent estate, use a solicitor.
Can I get a refund if it is not what I need?
Yes, in full, within 30 days of purchase, provided you have not downloaded the files. Once the files have been downloaded they cannot be returned, although your statutory rights for faulty digital content are not affected. Download links last 7 days and are sent again free of charge if you ask.
Related reading
Free resources before you buy
- Probate cost calculator the court fee against typical solicitor charges, in 60 seconds.
- Inheritance tax calculator a first estimate of whether any inheritance tax is due on the estate.
- Intestacy calculator who inherits when there is no valid will.
Self-help template, not legal advice. WillSafe UK is operated by Richard Wood, trading as WillSafe. We are not solicitors. Our products are self-help templates for England & Wales. For complex estates, speak to a qualified solicitor. See our full disclaimer.