The probate checklist: every step, in order.
Everything an executor or family member has to do after a death in England and Wales, in the order the work actually arrives. Print it, put it in the folder, and tick things off as you go.
1. The first days
Days 1 to 5
Nothing here needs a grant of probate. Look after people first; the paperwork below keeps to its own timetable.
Get the medical certificate of cause of death from the GP or hospital (needed before anything else can happen)
Register the death within 5 days at the local register office and buy several official copies of the death certificate; institutions want originals, not photocopies
Use the government Tell Us Once service to notify HMRC, DWP, DVLA and the Passport Office in one call
Find the will and any codicils; check whether it names funeral wishes before the funeral is arranged Where wills are kept →
Search the National Will Register if you are not certain the will you hold is the latest one How the register works →
Secure the home: locks, insurance (tell the insurer it is unoccupied), fridge, post, pets
Arrange the funeral, checking the estate or a prepaid plan before paying; banks release funds for funeral invoices even before probate Recording funeral wishes →
2. Understand the estate
Weeks 1 to 6
The executors named in the will take over from here. Their job is first to build an accurate picture of everything owned and owed at the date of death.
Confirm who the executors are and who is willing to act; anyone standing back renounces or has power reserved What executors do →
Write to every bank, building society, pension provider, insurer and share registrar for date-of-death balances
Get the property valued (an estate agent appraisal for modest estates; a RICS valuation near a tax threshold)
List all debts: mortgage, cards, utilities, care fees, the funeral account, outstanding tax
Ask about gifts made in the last 7 years; they count towards inheritance tax
Check whether a grant is needed at all: joint assets pass automatically and small accounts are often released against the death certificate alone What probate is and when it is needed →
3. Tax, then the application
Weeks 4 to 12
Inheritance tax comes before the grant: taxable estates report to HMRC first, and any tax due must be at least partly paid before the application can complete.
Work out the inheritance tax position using the current allowances (most estates are excepted and report through the probate application itself) Estimate it with our free calculator →
Taxable estates: file the IHT400 account with HMRC and wait the required period before applying
Arrange payment: the direct payment scheme lets banks pay HMRC straight from the deceased’s accounts
Apply for the grant online (or by post on form PA1P with a will, PA1A without); the fee is £300 for estates over £5,000
Send the original will exactly as found: never unstaple it, never attach anything to it
Order extra official copies of the grant so several institutions can be dealt with at once How long probate takes →
4. After the grant
Months 3 to 12
The grant is a key, not a finish line. Collect, settle, then distribute, and take the two protective waits seriously: they are what stand between an executor and personal liability.
Register the grant with each institution and collect in the assets
Sell or transfer the property; keep the insurer informed throughout
Advertise for unknown creditors under section 27 of the Trustee Act 1925 and wait 2 months before distributing
Consider waiting 6 months from the grant in case of claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975
Pay debts in the legal order, then any legacies, then distribute the residue What the residuary estate is →
Prepare estate accounts and have residuary beneficiaries approve them; keep everything for 12 years
General information for England and Wales, not legal advice. Fees and timescales are the published figures as of the 2026/27 tax year; check the current ones at gov.uk before you rely on them. The printable version keeps the steps and drops the links.The full version with guides for each step: willful.uk/probate-checklist
Questions
Before you start
How long does the whole process take?
For a straightforward estate, expect around 9 to 12 months from death to final distribution: registering the death and valuing the estate take the first couple of months, the grant typically arrives within 16 weeks of applying, and the protective waits and property sale fill the rest.
Do I need a solicitor for probate?
Usually not for a straightforward estate: most are handled by a family member. Hand it over (or buy advice on one specific problem) where the estate is taxable, insolvent, disputed, or holds a trust, business or foreign assets.
What happens if there is no will?
The closest relative applies for letters of administration instead, and the intestacy rules decide who inherits, whatever the family actually wanted. The process is the same shape but with more friction at nearly every step.
Most of this list is decided years earlier
Whether probate is a fortnight of admin or a year of detective work is mostly settled by the person who wrote the will: where it is kept, whether it is registered, and how cleanly it is drafted. A solicitor-reviewed Willful will handles all three, and the encrypted vault keeps the documents where your executors will find them.
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