Getting started
Do I need probate?
When a grant may be needed, how joint assets affect the answer, and who can apply in England and Wales.
Read guide : Do I need probate?The probate legal section
Understand the process.
Find the next step.
Practical explanations, official forms and case law for people dealing with probate in England and Wales.
Understand probateRead the practical guidesFind the right formGo to official forms and servicesExplore case lawUnderstand what the courts decided
Start with your question
Practical probate guides
Costs and timing
How much does probate cost and how long does it take?
The current £526 application fee, extra-copy charges, Help with Fees and the difference between obtaining a grant and finishing an estate.
Read guide : How much does probate cost and how long does it take?No will
Probate without a will: who applies and who inherits?
Letters of administration, the intestacy rules and why being a partner or next of kin does not answer every question.
Read guide : Probate without a will: who applies and who inherits?Executors
What if an executor cannot or does not want to act?
The difference between power reserved and renunciation, and what to check before using form PA15.
Read guide : What if an executor cannot or does not want to act?Estate values and tax
Valuing an estate and checking Inheritance Tax
What to collect, when IHT400 may be needed and why the tax deadline differs from the probate timetable.
Read guide : Valuing an estate and checking Inheritance TaxDisputes
Probate caveats: stopping a grant while a dispute is investigated
What a caveat does, when it may be relevant and why it is not a substitute for an inheritance claim.
Read guide : Probate caveats: stopping a grant while a dispute is investigatedContentious probate
Challenging an inheritance: identify the claim and the deadline
Will disputes, financial-provision claims and promised inheritances involve different legal questions and time limits.
Read guide : Challenging an inheritance: identify the claim and the deadlineDecisions explained
Probate and inheritance case law
How to use this section
Start with the guide closest to your question. Forms link to HMCTS or HMRC so you can obtain the current version and its instructions. Case summaries distinguish the result from the practical questions it raises. They do not predict the result of another claim.
The date shown is when the linked sources were checked. These pages are published by WeDoProbate.com; they are not an HMCTS, HMRC or court service.
England and Wales. Sources checked 15 September 2026. General information, not advice on your circumstances. Fees, forms and the law can change; check the linked official source before acting. Other jurisdictions have different rules.