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.
Probate not needed if: small estates under bank thresholds (£5,000-£50,000), joint assets passing automatically to survivor, life insurance/pensions with named beneficiaries, or assets in trust. Still needed for sole property, estates exceeding thresholds, disputes, or foreign assets.
Understanding when probate isn't needed can save you time and money. For context on how this fits into the wider process, see our complete UK probate guide.
Each bank/institution has its own threshold (typically £5,000-£50,000), as explained in GOV.UK's probate guidance.
Property and accounts held jointly as joint tenants usually pass automatically to the survivor:
Some assets pass outside the estate to nominated beneficiaries, as explained by Which?:
According to Citizens Advice, you will need probate for:
Not sure if you need probate?
1 in 3 applications are sent back. In under 2 minutes, we'll tell you whether you need it and what to do next.
For guidance on notifying organisations, see MoneyHelper's bereavement guide:
1 in 3 probate applications are sent back.
Answer 5 questions in under 2 minutes. We'll tell you whether you need probate, which route to take, and the mistake most people make at this stage.
Free to check · 2 minutes · No account needed · £179 for your full probate pack