Farra is a death administration assistant for UK families. Get step-by-step guidance for registering a death, applying for probate, notifying banks, and managing bereavement admin. From essential documents to practical checklists, Farra simplifies estate paperwork and funeral-related tasks so you can focus on what matters.
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Doing probate yourself is manageable for most people with a straightforward estate — but manageable does not mean easy. It requires sustained attention to detail, comfort with bureaucracy, and the resilience to deal with frustrating institutions while you are also grieving. This guide gives you an honest, step-by-step difficulty rating for each stage of the process, so you can make an informed decision. For a full assessment of whether your estate is suitable for DIY, see our guide on whether you can do probate yourself. For an honest look at what can go wrong, see our guide on DIY probate risks.
Every guide about probate skips straight to the forms. But the reality is that the hardest part of doing probate yourself is not any particular piece of paperwork — it is doing all of this while you are grieving.
As executor, you may be the deceased's spouse, child, or closest friend. The same person who is processing a profound loss is also expected to phone banks, locate financial statements, complete detailed government forms, and maintain meticulous records — often for a year or more after the death.
This is worth naming clearly because it affects how you should plan the process. Give yourself permission to go slowly where the process allows. Batch tasks together so you are not constantly picking up and putting down the grief. Use tools and guidance to reduce cognitive load wherever possible.
The paperwork difficulty, honestly, is not the biggest barrier. The emotional weight is.
Here is an honest rating of each stage of the probate process, scored 1–5 for difficulty. The ratings assume a straightforward estate — complexity at any stage rises if the estate has complicating features.
Registering the death must happen within five days and is done at the local register office. You need the medical cause of death certificate from the hospital or GP. The process itself is straightforward, though emotionally difficult. Obtain at least five certified copies of the death certificate — each costs a small fee but you will need them for banks, HMRC, and other institutions. See our guide on registering a death.
The original will must be found and submitted to the Probate Registry. If you know where it is, this is simple. If not, there are standard search places: solicitor files, bank safe custody, the National Will Register. Once found, reading the will and confirming who the executors are and what the main gifts are is generally straightforward for a simply worded document. Our guide on how to read a will as an executor walks through this step by step.
You need to establish the value of every asset as at the date of death. For bank accounts, you request a date-of-death balance statement from each institution. For investments and ISAs, the provider will supply a probate valuation. For property, you need a formal RICS-level valuation or a well-documented estate agent opinion (HMRC may challenge the latter). Personal possessions above a certain value need a professional assessment.
The difficulty here is thoroughness — it is time-consuming to track down every asset, particularly if the deceased had many accounts or investments. Missing an asset is a genuine risk, though usually correctable. Our guide to valuing property for probate covers the main asset types.
This is where most executors get stuck, and it is worth being direct: the IHT400 form and its schedules are complex documents. There are up to 20 supplementary schedules depending on the type of assets, and you are signing a declaration of accuracy that HMRC takes seriously.
However, there is important context: many estates do not need the IHT400 at all. For excepted estates — broadly, those below the IHT threshold after applying the nil-rate band (£325,000) and potentially the residence nil-rate band (£175,000) — the process is significantly simpler. Check our guide on inheritance tax basics to understand which applies to you.
For taxable estates, the IHT400 is demanding but the HMRC guidance notes are detailed, the helpline is genuinely useful, and working through it methodically is achievable. See our IHT400 guide and our guide on paying IHT before probate. Also be aware of the 7-year gifting rule — gifts made in the seven years before death may need to be declared.
The PA1P (with will) or PA1A (no will) form is available online through the HMCTS service. It is detailed — asking about executors, beneficiaries, relationship to the deceased, the IHT position — but it is well-structured and takes most people 2–4 hours to complete. The online service is reasonably intuitive. The £273 fee is paid online.
The main difficulty is that any error in the application results in it being returned for correction, adding weeks to the process. See our guide to the PA1P and PA1A forms and our guide to what to do if the application is returned.
Once your application is submitted, you wait. The Probate Registry's processing time has varied significantly — from a few weeks to several months depending on their backlog. There is little you can do to speed this up. See our guide on how long probate takes for current realistic timescales. The difficulty of this stage is psychological — frustrating but not technically demanding.
Once the grant arrives, you use it to collect the deceased's assets — presenting it to banks, financial institutions, and potentially using it to sell or transfer property. You also need to pay all outstanding debts, advertise for unknown creditors in the London Gazette, and maintain careful records of every transaction.
The main challenge is communication — chasing institutions that are slow to respond, making sure nothing has been missed, and keeping beneficiaries informed. See our estate administration checklist and our guide to advertising for creditors in the Gazette.
Once all debts are paid and the creditor notice period has passed, you distribute the estate in accordance with the will. Obtain receipts from all beneficiaries. Produce estate accounts showing all income and expenditure. This stage is relatively straightforward if you have kept good records throughout. See our guide to what to do after the grant of probate.
One of the most underestimated difficulties of DIY probate is chasing institutions. Banks can take weeks to respond to probate queries. HMRC can take months to process an IHT400. The Probate Registry goes through periods of significant backlog.
Practical strategies that help:
Every executor doing probate themselves hits moments where they do not know what to do next. This is normal. Here is how to get unstuck:
The fear of getting it wrong is one of the main reasons executors pay for professional help they do not need. Here is a realistic picture of what errors actually look like in practice:
For a full analysis of DIY probate risks and how to mitigate them, see our is DIY probate risky guide. Our guide on common probate mistakes covers the most frequent errors executors make.
If, after reading this guide, the process feels genuinely too demanding given your circumstances, that is a valid conclusion. Using a probate specialist or solicitor costs more but removes the administrative burden. A grant-only service is a middle path — a professional handles the grant application and IHT, and you do the administration. For more on relative costs, see our DIY vs solicitor cost comparison.
Total elapsed time from death to final distribution is typically 9–18 months for a straightforward estate. Your personal effort is around 30–60 hours spread across that period. Most of the elapsed time is waiting — for the Probate Registry, HMRC, and financial institutions. See our executor timeline guide for a detailed breakdown.
No specialist legal knowledge is required for a straightforward estate. The forms are designed for non-lawyers to complete. HMRC and the Probate Registry provide guidance notes. What you need is patience, attention to detail, and the time to follow the process carefully.
It is the most technically demanding form in the probate process, but it is manageable with the right guidance. The HMRC guidance notes run to over 100 pages and address most scenarios you will encounter. Our IHT400 guide walks through the main sections. Many executors find the most difficult part is gathering all the information needed to complete it accurately, not the form itself.
Minor errors on the PA1P/PA1A typically result in the application being returned for correction — frustrating but not serious. Errors on the IHT return are more significant: HMRC may open an enquiry and impose penalties for careless inaccuracies. The best protection is to take care, keep records, and use the HMRC guidance notes throughout.
If any of the following arise, instruct a professional promptly: someone challenges the will, a substantial unknown creditor appears after distribution, HMRC opens a formal enquiry, a missing beneficiary cannot be traced, or it emerges the estate has overseas property or business interests. You can hand over at any point — most professionals are willing to take on a part-completed matter.
Yes — most executors can handle probate without a solicitor. Honest guide to what DIY probate involves, which estates are suitable, common pitfalls, time commitment, and cost comparison.
An honest analysis of the real risks of DIY probate — IHT errors, personal liability for debts, missing assets, distributing to the wrong person — and how to mitigate each one.
Complete guide to filing IHT400 with HMRC: who needs to file, schedules required, step-by-step walkthrough, and common mistakes. IHT205 abolished from 2024.
Probate specialists and solicitors both have the legal authority to apply for probate but differ significantly on cost and scope. How to verify credentials, compare fee structures, and choose correctly.
Should you do probate yourself or use a solicitor? Complete cost comparison: DIY £273-£800 vs Solicitor £1,500-£10,000+. Time, risk, and decision framework.
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