Sorting out the affairs of someone who died without a will can feel daunting, especially while you are grieving. Letters of administration are the court document that gives the closest relative legal authority to deal with the estate. In England and Wales you apply to the Probate Service online or by post on form PA1A, after valuing the estate for Inheritance Tax. Since 13 July 2026 the fee is £526 for estates over £5,000.
What are letters of administration?
A "grant of representation" is the legal document that lets someone collect in and share out a person's estate. When there is a valid will naming an executor, it is called a grant of probate. When there is no will, it is called letters of administration, and the person who receives it is the "administrator". If there is a will but it names no executor, or the executor cannot act, the grant is called letters of administration with will annexed, as GOV.UK explains.
In everyday speech all of these are often just called "probate", and the application process is the same service. Our guide on how to apply for probate covers the will-based route; this page focuses on what is different when there is no will.
You will not always need a grant. Each bank, building society or pension provider sets its own limit for releasing money without one, and property owned as joint tenants passes automatically to the surviving owner, according to GOV.UK's probate overview. If the person owned a house or flat in their sole name, or had sizeable savings or investments, a grant is almost always needed.
Who can apply for letters of administration?
The right to apply follows the same order as the intestacy rules for inheriting. The Non-Contentious Probate Rules 1987, rule 22, list the priority:
The husband, wife or civil partner, including one who was separated but not divorced.
Children, or the children of a child who has died. GOV.UK says applicants must be 18 or over, and this includes legally adopted children but not stepchildren.
Parents.
Brothers and sisters of the whole blood, or their children.
Half-brothers and half-sisters, or their children.
Grandparents.
Aunts and uncles of the whole blood, then of the half blood, or their children.
An unmarried partner cannot apply, however long you lived together, because GOV.UK's guidance for estates without a will limits the right to people who were married or in a civil partnership. No more than four people can be named on a grant, and where a beneficiary is under 18 or a life interest arises, the court will normally grant administration to at least two individuals, under section 114 of the Senior Courts Act 1981.
If you are first in line but do not want to take this on, you can appoint up to four people to act for you with form PA12, or, as a spouse or civil partner where there are children, give up your right with form PA16. The forms are listed on the same GOV.UK page.
What do you need to do before you apply?
Valuing the estate comes first. GOV.UK sets out that you must estimate the estate's value and check whether Inheritance Tax is due before you can apply, and you will need these figures on the application even if no tax is owed. GOV.UK's guide to valuing an estate explains how to identify assets and debts by writing to banks, pension providers, NS&I and others with a copy of the death certificate.
Most estates are "excepted estates", meaning no full Inheritance Tax account is needed and you can apply straight away. If tax is due, or full details are required for another reason, you must send form IHT400 to HMRC within 12 months of the death and before applying. Inheritance Tax itself is due by the end of the sixth month after the death, with interest charged after that, according to GOV.UK's guidance on paying Inheritance Tax. You will normally need to pay some of it before the grant is issued; HMRC then sends a unique code you need for the probate application. Banks taking part in the Direct Payment Scheme can pay the tax straight from the person's accounts.
The basic threshold remains £325,000, and the 40% rate applies only to the part above it, as set out on GOV.UK's Inheritance Tax page. Leaving everything to a spouse or civil partner is normally free of Inheritance Tax.
How do you apply for letters of administration?
Once the estate is valued, the application itself is fairly short. GOV.UK's apply-for-probate page sets out two routes:
Online: start the application through the GOV.UK probate service. If more than one person is applying, one acts as lead applicant and the others sign the legal declaration from a link sent by email and text.
By post: fill in form PA1A, the paper application for estates without a will, and send it to the address on the form. Paper applications take longer to process.
Send documents: you may be asked to post supporting documents. A death certificate is only needed if the death happened outside England or Wales or the coroner issued an interim certificate.
If you get stuck, the Courts and Tribunals Service Centre can help with technical questions on 0300 303 0648, Monday to Friday 9am to 1pm, and We Are Group offers support if you are not confident online on 03300 160 051, both listed on GOV.UK. You can also pay a solicitor or other probate practitioner to apply for you.
How much do letters of administration cost?
The application fee is £526 where the estate is worth more than £5,000. There is no fee for estates of £5,000 or less. Extra official copies of the grant cost £2 each if you order them with your application, or £16 each if you order them later, according to GOV.UK's probate fees page.
These amounts come from Schedule 1 to the Non-Contentious Probate Fees Order 2004, as amended by the Court and Tribunal Fees (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2026 with effect from 13 July 2026. Ordering several copies at the start is worth it, because you can send them to different banks and providers at the same time.
If you have a low income or receive certain benefits, you may get help with the fee by applying online for Help with Fees or using form EX160. If you apply online you pay the full fee first and receive a refund if help is granted. Help with Fees does not cover extra copies.
How long does it take to get letters of administration?
GOV.UK says you will usually receive the grant within 12 weeks of submitting your application, though it can take longer if the registry needs more information. Online applicants can track progress by signing in, and postal applicants should receive a letter or email within 12 weeks, according to GOV.UK's after-you've-applied guidance.
The whole process usually takes longer than the application alone. Valuing the estate can take several months, and estates where Inheritance Tax is due or full details are needed take longer still. Starting early with the paperwork is often the biggest time saver.
What happens after you get letters of administration?
With the grant in hand you can send copies to the organisations holding the person's money and property, collect it in, pay valid debts and expenses, and then share what is left according to the intestacy rules. If you need to close a bank account after a death, the grant is usually what the bank will ask for.
Keep careful records. HMRC can ask to see Inheritance Tax records for up to 20 years after the tax is paid, and you are expected to prepare final accounts showing what came in, what was paid and what each beneficiary received, as set out in GOV.UK's records guidance. Bear in mind that certain people, including a cohabiting partner of two years or more, can ask a court for provision from the estate, normally within six months of the grant under section 4 of the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. If a claim seems possible, take legal advice before distributing everything.
How is it different in Scotland and Northern Ireland?
In Scotland the equivalent of a grant is called "confirmation", and it is issued by the sheriff court. Estates worth £36,000 or less count as small estates, where the sheriff clerk's office can help you fill in the inventory form C1, according to the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service. Where there is no will, a "bond of caution", a type of insurance, is sometimes required. For larger estates the courts recommend legal advice.
In Northern Ireland you apply to the Probate Office of the High Court for a grant of letters of administration, and you must be 18 or over. Small estates held mainly in bank accounts may be released without a grant, at each institution's discretion, according to nidirect's probate guidance. Fees and forms differ from England and Wales, so check nidirect before applying.
Keep a document and query log for your application
Once you know who is entitled to apply, make a separate record of what the Probate Service actually requests. A simple log can contain:
Application reference and date submitted.
Document requested, whether an original or copy is needed, and the instructions received.
Date and method sent, with a copy or delivery record where appropriate.
Any question from the registry, who is answering it and the response date.
Originals returned, documents still outstanding and the next follow-up.
Use the official service and the address in its instructions; do not send originals to a website offering general guidance. GOV.UK explains who may apply when there is no will. The log is your working record, not an application form or evidence that a grant has been issued.
Keep the application log separate from the intestacy rules that determine inheritance and the bank’s bereavement process. A family relationship, an application and a bank’s accepted authority are different checks.
Does submitting the application mean I already have the grant?
No. An application acknowledgement is not letters of administration. Wait for the grant where an organisation requires it. Some institutions can release limited funds without a grant, so ask each one about its procedure rather than treating submission as permission to access every account.
How can you prepare when family details are incomplete?
For England and Wales, establish who may apply before completing the application. Note missing family information and seek appropriate help where relationships, entitlement or a will are disputed. A family contact list is preparation only; it does not establish a right to administer or inherit.
Prepare for the next conversation
Separate confirmed relationships from details still being checked.
Keep correspondence about any search for a will with the working notes.
Ask for clarification before submitting contradictory information.
Related next steps: Check whether asset holders require a grant; Understand the practical administration work after appointment.
Frequently asked questions: Letters of administration
What is the difference between probate and letters of administration?
Both are grants of representation. A grant of probate goes to an executor named in a will; letters of administration go to an administrator, usually the closest relative, when there is no will.
Can I apply for letters of administration without a solicitor?
Yes. You can apply yourself online or with form PA1A, which can cost less than using a probate practitioner. Estates with Inheritance Tax to pay, property abroad or family disagreements are often easier with professional help.
How much are letters of administration in 2026?
From 13 July 2026 the fee is £526 if the estate is worth more than £5,000, and nothing if it is worth £5,000 or less. Extra copies cost £2 each when ordered with the application.
Can an unmarried partner get letters of administration?
Not in their own right. Only a husband, wife or civil partner, or the relatives listed in the intestacy order, can apply. An unmarried partner could act if the entitled relative appoints them, and may be able to claim from the estate through the courts.
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