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.
This guide has not been checked against its sources
We re-checked our most-read guides against GOV.UK and the other official sources in September 2026. This one was not among them, so nobody has confirmed its figures, deadlines or process steps since it was written. Treat it as a starting point and confirm anything that matters on GOV.UK before you act on it.
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:
For guidance on notifying organisations, see MoneyHelper's bereavement guide: