Do I Need Probate Checker
Not every estate needs a grant of probate. Whether it's required depends on how assets were owned, how much is in each account, and what each institution's own rules require. Answer these questions to get a steer.
Do I Need Probate Checker
Not every estate needs a grant of probate. Whether it's required depends on how assets were owned, how much is in each account, and what each institution's own rules require. Answer these questions to get a steer.
Banks, building societies and investment platforms each set their own threshold for releasing funds without a grant, commonly somewhere between £5,000 and £50,000, so always check directly with each institution holding assets. This is a general steer, not a determination, and a specialist can confirm your exact position.
Confirm your figure with a probate specialist
Estimates get you close. A specialist confirms your exact inheritance tax position, what reliefs and nil-rate bands apply, and the quickest route to grant of probate. No obligation, and we reply within one working day.
When probate is and isn't needed
Probate (or letters of administration where there's no will) gives the personal representatives legal authority to deal with the deceased's assets. Whether you need it depends on how each asset was owned and how much is involved, not on the size of the estate as a whole. Property owned solely by the deceased, or as tenants in common, almost always needs a grant before it can be sold or transferred, because the Land Registry requires it.
Jointly owned property held as joint tenants passes automatically to the survivor by the right of survivorship and does not need probate for that asset, though probate may still be needed for other parts of the estate. Bank accounts, building society accounts and NS&I products (including Premium Bonds) each have their own internal threshold, commonly somewhere between £5,000 and £50,000, below which they will often release funds on production of a death certificate and some proof of entitlement, without insisting on a grant.
Shares, investment funds and most pension death benefits held outside a trust structure typically do require a grant to transfer or sell, regardless of value, because registrars follow a stricter policy than banks. If most of the estate was jointly held with a spouse or civil partner and passes automatically, and the remaining sole assets are modest, probate may not be needed at all, but it's worth checking directly with each institution before assuming so.
Frequently asked questions
What is the threshold below which banks don't need probate?
There is no single legal threshold, each bank and building society sets its own internal limit, commonly between £5,000 and £50,000. Above that limit they will normally insist on seeing a grant of probate or letters of administration before releasing funds.
Do I need probate for a jointly owned bank account?
Usually not. Most joint accounts pass automatically to the surviving account holder by survivorship, without needing a grant, though the bank will still want to see a death certificate.
What about a small estate with no property?
If the deceased held no property solely (or as tenants in common), and all sole accounts fall under each institution's own threshold, probate may not be needed. Always confirm directly with each institution rather than assuming.
Do Premium Bonds always need probate?
NS&I will generally release Premium Bonds and other NS&I products without a grant for holdings under £5,000, but require one above that, subject to NS&I's current published limits.
Is probate needed if there's a will but everything is jointly owned?
If every asset passes automatically by survivorship or nomination, a grant may not be legally required even where a will exists, though the will still matters for anything that doesn't pass automatically, and for record purposes.
Want to be sure of your position?
A calculator gives you the shape of the answer. We confirm your exact figure and the reliefs that apply to you. Tell us about your situation for a no-obligation review.