Grant of Probate: What It Is and What to Do With It

The Grant proves the executor's authority. It is the evidence banks, buyers, HM Land Registry and other organisations may require before they let the executor deal with an estate asset.

What the Grant actually is

You have been calling banks, writing letters, trying to get things moving. And every time, you hit the same wall: "We need to see the Grant of Probate." Until that document arrives, most of the estate is frozen. You cannot close accounts, transfer property, or receive funds. The Grant is the key — and applying for it is the central task of the early probate process.

A Grant of Probate is issued by the Probate Registry, part of His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service. It formally confirms two things: that the will is valid, and that the named executor has the legal authority to administer the estate. It is issued only when there is a valid will and at least one named executor is applying. If there is no will, or if the named executor cannot or will not act, the equivalent document is called Letters of Administration — which serves the same practical purpose but is issued to an administrator rather than an executor.

The Grant is not a complicated document. It is typically two or three pages long, printed on official court paper with a raised seal. It states the name of the deceased, the date of death, the value of the estate as declared, the name of the executor, and a formal statement that probate has been granted. The original will is annexed to it.

Once issued, the will becomes a public document. Anyone can search the probate records and order a copy of the Grant and the attached will for £16. This is worth knowing if you are concerned about privacy — there is no way to keep a will private once probate has been granted.

What it looks like

When the Grant arrives, you will receive one or more sealed copies. Each copy is printed on official court paper and stamped with the court seal. The seal is what makes it legally valid — a photocopy of a Grant is not a sealed copy and will not be accepted by banks or the Land Registry.

The document will include:

• The full name and address of the deceased
• The date and place of death
• The gross and net value of the estate as declared in the application
• The name and address of the executor(s)
• The date the Grant was issued
• The court seal and a reference number

The attached will (if any) will also be sealed. If there are codicils — additions to the will made after it was originally signed — these will be attached too.

How many copies to order

When you apply for probate, you can order sealed copies of the grant at the same time for £2 each. Copies requested after you submit the application cost £16 each, so order the number you expect to need with the application.

How many you need depends on the complexity of the estate. As a rough guide:

For a straightforward estate with one property, two or three bank accounts, and a pension, ordering six to eight copies at the outset is usually sufficient. For a more complex estate with multiple properties, overseas assets, or a business interest, ten or more copies may be sensible.

Most organisations will return the sealed copy once they have noted it on their records. However, this is not guaranteed, and chasing returned copies adds time to the administration. Ordering a few extra copies at the start is almost always worth the small additional cost.

Using the Grant

Once you have the Grant, you can begin the practical work of administering the estate. The process is broadly the same for each organisation: send a sealed copy of the Grant along with a covering letter identifying yourself as the executor, the account or asset reference, and what you are asking them to do (close the account, transfer the asset, release the funds, etc.).

Most banks have a dedicated bereavement team and a specific process for handling Grant of Probate notifications. It is worth calling ahead to ask for their bereavement team's postal address and any specific forms they require — some banks have their own executor declaration forms that they ask you to complete alongside the Grant.

Banks and building societies

Send a sealed copy of the Grant to each bank or building society where the deceased held accounts. Include a covering letter with the account number(s) and your instructions — whether you want the balance transferred to an executor's account or paid directly to beneficiaries.

Organisations deal in official sealed copies — that is exactly what the probate service issues them for. If a bank says it needs 'the original', it usually means it wants its own copy to keep, which you can order from the probate service for £16 each. Processing times vary between institutions, so follow up in writing if a request stalls. If a bank is taking an unreasonable amount of time, you can escalate to their complaints team and ultimately to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Premium Bonds and NS&I

NS&I (National Savings and Investments) has its own bereavement process. You will need to complete their online bereavement form and send a sealed copy of the Grant. Premium Bonds can be held for up to 12 months after death and will continue to be entered into the monthly prize draw during that period — so it is worth not cashing them in immediately.

Pension providers

Each pension provider has its own process. Most will require a sealed copy of the Grant, the policy number, and a completed claim form. Note that pension funds do not automatically form part of the estate — they are held in trust and paid at the trustees' discretion. The Grant gives you authority over the estate, but not necessarily over pension funds. Contact each provider directly to understand their process.

Land Registry

If the deceased owned property in their sole name, you will need to use the Grant to transfer or sell it. The process depends on what you intend to do with the property.

The Land Registry will return the sealed copy of the Grant after registration. Property transactions can be complex, and many executors instruct a solicitor to handle the conveyancing — particularly if the property is being sold rather than transferred to a beneficiary.

If the property was held as beneficial joint tenants, the deceased's interest passes automatically to the surviving joint owner and no Grant is needed for that interest. Form DJP and an official copy of the death certificate can be used to remove the deceased joint proprietor from the registered title. If the beneficial ownership was as tenants in common, the deceased's share remains part of the estate — see our guide to when you don't need probate for the ownership distinction.

HMRC and tax

If Inheritance Tax was payable, you will already have been in contact with HMRC before the Grant was issued. Once the estate is administered, you may need to submit a corrective or final IHT account and obtain clearance from HMRC confirming that all IHT has been paid. Excepted estates normally do not need an IHT clearance application.

You will also need to deal with the deceased's income tax for the period from the start of the tax year to the date of death. This is done through a final Self Assessment return or by contacting HMRC's bereavement team. Any income tax refund due to the estate forms part of the estate assets; any tax owed must be paid before distribution.

If the estate generates income during the administration period (for example, rental income from a property, or interest on savings), this income is taxable and must be reported to HMRC. Executors are personally liable for tax owed by the estate, so it is important to keep accurate records throughout.

If something is wrong with the Grant

Errors in the Grant do happen — a misspelled name, an incorrect date of death, or a wrong estate value. If you notice an error, do not attempt to use the Grant. Return it to the district probate registry listed on the document with a covering letter explaining the error. The registry will issue a corrected Grant.

If the Grant has been lost or destroyed, you can order a copy of the probate record from the probate records service, online or by post, for £16 per copy. You will need the deceased's full name and the year the Grant was issued — the records are filed by the year of the Grant rather than the year of death.

If the Grant needs to be revoked — because the will has been successfully challenged, or because a later will has been discovered — this is a court process that requires legal advice. A revoked Grant is no longer valid, and any actions taken under it before revocation may need to be unwound.

Common questions