No — you don't legally have to use a solicitor or probate specialist. An executor can apply for the Grant of Probate themselves. But the executor is personally responsible for getting it right, and once a property, inheritance tax, a trust or a family disagreement is involved, most people decide the cost of professional help is worth the protection and the time saved.
When you can probably handle probate yourself
Doing probate without help is realistic when the estate is genuinely simple. As a rough guide, that means:
- There is a clear, valid will and you are the named executor
- The estate is well below the inheritance tax threshold, so no tax is payable
- There's no property — or the property passes automatically to a surviving joint owner
- The assets are straightforward: a bank account or two, maybe some Premium Bonds or a small ISA
- The beneficiaries are easy to identify, of full age, and not in dispute
- You have the time and the patience to deal with the paperwork and the waiting
In those circumstances, the application itself is manageable, and you'd mainly be paying a professional for convenience rather than necessity.
When professional help is worth it
The picture changes quickly once any of these apply:
The estate is taxable for inheritance tax
If the estate is over the threshold (currently £325,000, or more where the residence nil-rate band or a transferred allowance applies), the inheritance tax account is detailed, the figures must be right, and the tax has to be paid before the grant is issued. Underpaying — even by accident — leaves the executor exposed to HMRC. This is where most DIY probates come unstuck.
There's a property to sell or transfer
A house in the deceased's sole name has to be valued correctly for tax, then sold or transferred using the grant. The conveyancing runs alongside the probate, and the two have to be co-ordinated.
There's a trust, a business, agricultural land or foreign assets
Any of these add real complexity — to the tax position, the valuation, and the administration. They're not DIY territory.
There's no will
The estate passes under the intestacy rules, which decide who inherits and who is entitled to administer the estate. Working out the correct order of entitlement isn't always obvious, and the wrong person applying causes problems later. (Making a will avoids all of this for the people you leave behind.)
The family doesn't agree, or a beneficiary can't be found
Disagreements over the will, claims for further provision, or a beneficiary who has moved or died all need handling carefully before anything is distributed.
You simply don't have the headspace
Administering an estate is a job — months of letters, forms, phone calls and chasing — at a time when you're grieving. Handing it over is a perfectly good reason on its own.
The executor's personal liability — the bit people don't realise
This is the single most important reason people choose professional help. As an executor, you are personally responsible for administering the estate correctly. If you:
- underpay inheritance tax or income tax,
- pay out to the wrong people or in the wrong shares,
- distribute before settling a debt or a claim, or
- distribute too early and a successful claim is later made under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975,
then you can be made to make good the shortfall out of your own money. A probate professional carries compulsory professional indemnity insurance, follows formal procedures (such as placing statutory notices for creditors), and takes that exposure off your shoulders.
DIY vs professional probate — at a glance
Doing it yourself
- No professional fees
- Fine for small, simple, tax-free estates
- You're personally liable for any mistakes
- All the paperwork, chasing and waiting is yours
- A rejected application sends you to the back of the queue
Using a probate specialist
- Fixed fee, agreed in writing up front
- Right choice once tax, property or trusts are involved
- Their insurance covers errors — not your savings
- They handle HMRC, the Registry, valuations and distribution
- Often a "Grant only" option as a cheaper middle ground
What does it cost?
Probate professionals charge in different ways — a percentage of the estate value, an hourly rate, or a fixed fee. We think fixed fees are fairer, because you know the cost before you commit. At GLCS Probate:
- Grant of Probate only — we prepare and submit the application (oath, HMRC forms, Probate Registry submission) and you deal with the rest: £2,995 + VAT.
- Full estate administration — we handle everything from the grant through to final distribution. The fee is based on the work involved and capped at 2% of the estate value for simple estates, and is agreed with you in writing before any work begins. It's paid from the estate, not from your own funds.
See our probate service and full fees for the detail, and our guide to how much probate costs in 2026 for the wider picture including court fees and disbursements.
Frequently asked questions
Not sure whether you need help?
Tell us about the estate and we'll give you an honest steer — whether it's straightforward enough to do yourself, or where professional help would actually pay off. No pressure, no obligation.