Bereavement
What to do when someone dies in the UK: a step-by-step checklist
A practical week-by-week guide for what to do when someone dies in the UK - covering England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Read Article
April 26, 2026
What each term means, when you actually need a grant, and how to apply — for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
You may not need any of these if the estate is small, or if everything was jointly owned. The bank, building society or other provider holding each asset will tell you what they require.
Last updated: April 2026. This guide is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice.
The UK does not have a single estate administration system. Each nation has its own legal tradition, and Scotland in particular uses different language for what is broadly the same idea. That can make the early days of estate administration feel like learning a new vocabulary at the worst possible time — and almost always while you are also grieving.
This guide untangles the terms, explains when you need a grant and when you do not, and walks through the application process in each of the four UK nations.
Before applying for anything, it is worth knowing whether you actually need a grant. Many estates can be settled without one.
You will usually need probate (or Confirmation in Scotland) if:
You may not need a grant if:
The practical test is simple: contact each bank, building society, investment provider, mortgage company, pension provider, and registrar of property the person held assets with. Each one will tell you whether they require a grant. Their thresholds and rules vary, so it is worth asking each one in writing.
A Grant of Probate is the legal authority issued to the executor named in a valid will. It confirms that the will is genuine and that the executor has the right to deal with the estate — closing accounts, selling property, distributing assets to beneficiaries.
Letters of Administration are issued when there is no valid will, or when the named executors are unable or unwilling to act. The person who receives Letters of Administration is called the administrator, and they must follow the rules of intestacy when distributing the estate.
Confirmation is the single Scottish term that covers both situations — with a will and without. The person applying is called the executor (or executor-dative if there is no will). Confirmation is granted by the Sheriff Court, not by HMCTS as in England and Wales.
You will need a date-of-death valuation of every asset (property, accounts, investments, vehicles, valuables) and every debt (mortgages, loans, credit cards, utility bills, funeral expenses). Most banks and providers will issue a date-of-death valuation letter on request. For property, an estate agent's appraisal is normally sufficient, but for inheritance tax purposes a RICS-qualified surveyor's valuation is more robust.
Most estates do not pay inheritance tax. The standard nil-rate band is £325,000 per person, and there is an additional £175,000 residence nil-rate band when the family home passes to direct descendants. A surviving spouse or civil partner can usually inherit any unused allowance from their late partner.
If the estate is below the threshold, you will normally complete a simpler estate return as part of the probate application. If inheritance tax is due, or if the estate is otherwise complex, you will need to complete form IHT400 — and if so, it must be submitted within twelve months of the death, and tax paid by the end of the sixth month.
Most applications are now made online via GOV.UK. You will need:
Useful link: Applying for probate (GOV.UK)
The process is broadly similar to England and Wales, but applications are made through the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service rather than HMCTS. The forms and fees are different, and Tell Us Once is not available — you will need to notify each government department directly.
Useful link: Probate in Northern Ireland (nidirect)
Confirmation is applied for through the Sheriff Court in the area where the person lived. The application is made on form C1 (or form C5 for small estates), and you will need to lodge an inventory of the estate and the original will if there is one. Scottish inheritance and succession law differs in important ways from the rest of the UK — most notably, children and surviving spouses have legal rights to a share of the moveable estate that cannot be overridden by a will.
Useful link: Dealing with a deceased's estate in Scotland (Scottish Courts and Tribunals)
Once you have the grant, you can:
It is sensible to keep a written estate account — a simple ledger showing every receipt and every payment. Beneficiaries are entitled to ask to see this.
You can apply for probate or confirmation yourself, and many people do. A DIY application is realistic if:
A solicitor is usually worth the cost when:
Solicitor fees vary widely. Some quote a flat fee, others charge a percentage of the estate value (typically 1–5%), and others bill by the hour. It is always worth getting two or three quotes.
Probate is the legal authority to administer an estate in England, Wales and Northern Ireland when there is a valid will. Confirmation is the Scottish equivalent, and covers both estates with a will and estates without. The forms, fees and courts differ.
Probate is granted to the executor named in a valid will. Letters of Administration are granted when there is no will, or when the named executors are unable or unwilling to act. Both give the same broad authority to administer the estate.
For a straightforward online application in England and Wales, the grant is typically issued within 8 to 16 weeks of submission. Northern Ireland and Scotland timelines are broadly similar, though complex cases or applications with errors can take considerably longer. The full estate administration usually takes six to twelve months from the date of death.
In England and Wales, the application fee is currently £300 if the estate is over £5,000, with no fee for smaller estates. Official copies of the grant are £16 each. Northern Ireland and Scotland have different fee structures. Solicitor fees, where used, are separate.
Usually not. Property held as joint tenants and joint bank accounts pass automatically to the surviving owner without a grant. However, if the person owned anything in their sole name above a provider's threshold, a grant is likely needed.
The estate is distributed under the rules of intestacy, which differ between England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Unmarried partners do not automatically inherit under intestacy in any UK nation. The person applying for the legal authority to administer the estate is called the administrator (or executor-dative in Scotland).
Estate administration is rarely just a paperwork exercise. It is something most people are doing for the first time, often while grieving, and almost always with too much else going on. Digital Companion gives executors and family members a clear, personalised task list — tailored to the UK nation the person lived in, with the right forms, deadlines and resources at each step.
Get started with Digital Companion
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial or tax advice. Estate administration is complex and the right approach depends on individual circumstances. Always seek qualified professional guidance where appropriate.
A practical week-by-week guide for what to do when someone dies in the UK - covering England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
What each term means, when you actually need a grant, and how to apply — for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The conversation most people put off too long. Here's how to start it, what to cover, what to actually say, and what to do with the answers.
