Apply for Grant of Probate. Get legal permission to sort out the estate.
From applying for the Grant of Probate to sorting out the whole estate.
(also referred to as Grant of Representation or Probate)
Grant of Probate is a legal confirmation document issued by the Court (otherwise known as Probate Registry, part of the Family Division of the High Court) that shows banks, building society and the Land Registry and other organisations that the person named on it (called the executor(s)) has the right to deal with someone’s estate after they have died. Grant of Probate is the document obtained if there is a valid will.
If there is no will, or the will is invalid, or there are no executors named in the will or the executors are unable to act, then the legal confirmation document issued by the Probate Registry is called Letters of Administration. It provides the same authority to the person named on it (called the administrator(s)) as Grant of Probate.
Another umbrella term used for both these documents is Grant of Representation. However, some organisations can sometimes just refer to the legal confirmation document as Grant of Probate or Probate, which we will do here, as it’s the most recognised and used term.
Once it’s been obtained you can sell/transfer property, and collect in/transfer any other assets that required it, pay off debts, and divide up the estate in accordance with the will or the intestacy rules (if there is no will).
Short answer: Probate is required in around 50% of deaths in the UK.
Long answer: Whether it’s required depends on:It’s usually required if:
In general, the following people don’t require a Grant of Probate where:
If you want to find out if you need Probate: Get started here.