Can an executor apply for probate without a solicitor?
Yes. HMCTS provides a citizen application route for many estates. The applicant remains responsible for accurate values, tax information, documents and later administration.
DIY Probate or Use a Solicitor? | ProbateHelp
A risk-based comparison of personal probate, grant-only help and full administration, including liability, scope and quote checks.
This guide is part of ProbateHelp's Probate Process guide cluster. Estimated reading time: 9 min.
Frequently asked questions
Does DIY probate remove personal liability?
No. Applying personally does not change the duties of a personal representative. Liability depends on the decisions made, the estate facts, claims, tax and distribution, not whether a solicitor completed the form.
What makes an estate unsuitable for unsupported DIY work?
Warning signs include possible insolvency, a disputed or missing will, unclear authority, lifetime gifts, IHT400 complexity, trusts, a business, agricultural property, foreign assets, missing beneficiaries or threatened claims.
Can a solicitor handle only the grant application?
Some firms offer advice, tax work or a grant-only service while the executors retain the rest. Define who values assets, submits HMRC information, answers requisitions and administers the estate.
How should I compare probate quotes?
Compare scope, assumptions, exclusions, VAT, disbursements, hourly or percentage elements, who will do the work, update frequency and what happens if the estate becomes contentious. SRA-regulated firms must publish specified price and service information for uncontested probate work.
Can EstateManager replace legal advice?
No. It can organise tasks, evidence and communications. It does not decide disputed legal rights, provide reserved legal services or remove the need for tax, legal or valuation advice where the estate requires it.