Probate that's tailored to you
Probate is the legal process of administering a deceased person's estate. Octopus Legal Services, regulated by the SRA, provides expert probate support from grant-only applications to full estate administration, guided by qualified solicitors.
Probate services
We can help you apply for and get a Grant of Probate, or take you from start to finish, depending on what you need.
Grant of Probate
Apply for Grant of Probate. Get legal permission to sort out the estate.
We will:
- Work out what inheritance tax you need to pay
- Work out if you need to complete an inheritance tax account and help you submit one
- Apply for Grant of Probate
- Keep you updated throughout
- Deliver the Grant of Probate to you
Fixed Fee Pricing:
- No Inheritance tax forms: £585
- With Inheritance tax forms: £1,290
Prices are fixed, including VAT and excluding the £300 probate registry fee and £16 per copy of the Grant of Probate.
Full estate administration
From applying for the Grant of Probate to sorting out the whole estate.
We will:
- Work out what inheritance tax you need to pay
- Work out if you need to complete an inheritance tax account and help you submit one
- Apply for Grant of Probate
- Keep you updated throughout
- Deliver the Grant of Probate to you
- Value your estate
- Settle any remaining debts
- Distribute the estate in accordance with the will or intestacy rules
Fixed Fee Pricing: From £2,730
Prices are quoted in advance based on individual circumstances, including VAT and excluding the £300 probate registry fee and £16 per copy of the Grant of Probate.
Full estate admin fees — done differently
We will always share a fixed fee quoted up front, based on the information that you provide. This means you know exactly what you're signing up for. Your quote will be tailored to you — based on the amount of work involved, rather than solely on the value of the estate.
Example pricing scenarios
Scenario 1 — Simple estate: £2,730
- 1 bank account/ISA
- 1 share/investment account
- 1 credit card
- 1 beneficiary
Scenario 2 — Property to sell: £4,882.50
- 1 property to sell
- 3 bank accounts/ISAs
- 2 credit cards
- 4 beneficiaries
Scenario 3 — Property, stocks and shares: £6,352.50
- 1 property to sell
- 3 bank accounts/ISAs
- 4 share/investment accounts
- 2 credit cards
- 6 beneficiaries
- Inheritance tax forms to complete
Scenario 4 — Complex estate: £11,182.50
- 2 properties to sell (one foreign)
- 5 bank accounts/ISAs
- 4 share/investment accounts
- 2 foreign bank accounts
- 6 beneficiaries
- Taxable estate
Prices are fixed, including VAT and excluding the £300 probate registry fee and £16 per copy of the Grant of Probate.
Additional services and costs
We're here to support you throughout this process — not just with probate. We offer the following additional services, directly or through our trusted partners. Any costs will be quoted separately.
- Insurance for executors and beneficiaries
- Will, beneficiary and asset searches
- Notices to creditors
- House clearance services
- Property management services
- Organising the sale or transfer of properties
Regulatory
Octopus Legal Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA ID 8007668). Probate work is led by qualified solicitors.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Grant of Probate, Grant of Letters of Administration, and Grant of Representation (i.e. Probate)?
Grant of Probate: when someone dies with a valid will a Grant of Probate is often needed. It is a legal document that shows banks, building societies, the Land Registry and other organisations that you (the executor) have the right to deal with someone's estate after they have died, allowing you to access funds and assets
Grant of Letters of Administration: if someone dies without a valid will (called dying intestate), or there are no executors named on the will, you can't get a Grant of Probate. In this case, you will need to apply for a Grant of Letters of Administration instead.
Grant of Representation: is an umbrella term for both Grant of Probate and Letters of Administration.
Once these are granted, you can sell property, pay off debts, close accounts and divide up the estate in accordance with the will or law (in case of intestacy).
Although Grant of Representation is the umbrella term, ‘Probate' is more commonly used to refer to both types of grant.
When is Probate required?
Short answer: Probate is required in around 50% of deaths in the UK.
Long answer: Whether it's required depends on:
- The size of the estate
- The kind of assets held by the person that's died
- Requirements of financial organisations where the person that's died owned assets with
- How assets are held by the person that's died
It's usually required if:
- The total value of the estate is worth £10,000 or more; or
- There is land and/or property in the sole name of the person that's died
- Financial institutions, such as banks, building societies, share registrars, and investment companies, specifically ask for it, as each institution will set their own 'threshold' of an acceptable risk amount where they will release the assets without sight of Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration. Some thresholds can be as high as £50,000 or as low as £5,000; or
- There are ongoing legal proceedings
In general, the following people don't require a Grant of Probate where:
- The value of the estate is less than £5,000; or
- All financial institutions have said they will release the funds without sight of Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration; or
- All land and property are held as joint tenants and/or other financial assets, such as bank accounts or investments or life policies, that continue in the name of the survivor, were held as joint beneficial tenants, with someone who is still alive. This is because under English law when a joint owner passes away, the asset held in joint names will usually automatically pass to the surviving joint owner(s), under the rule of survivorship regardless of what a will or what the rules of intestacy states.
If you want to find out if you need Probate: Get started here.
Who can apply for Probate?
Probate applications can be made by individuals who:
- Are at least 18 years old
- Are named in a will as executor(s) or if there is no will, usually the closest living relative who inherits under the rules of intestacy who will be called administrator(s)
- Are not bankrupt
- Have legal capacity
Is Octopus Legal Services SRA regulated?
Yes, Octopus Legal Services is a licensed body regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to provide probate services.
Who makes up our team?
Our probate team is made up of expert probate solicitors, trained case managers, and paralegals, and is overseen by our TEP (Trust and Estates Practitioner) qualified senior probate solicitor, June Yap, who has over 15 years of experience managing hundreds of estates of all shapes and sizes. At the start of the process you'll be paired with an expert who will see you through each step of the journey.