The Probate Service

What is probate?

When a person dies somebody has to deal with their estate (money property and possessions left) by collecting in all the money, paying any debts and distributing what is left to those people entitled to it. Probate is the court’s authority; given to a person or persons to administer a deceased person’s estate and the document issued by the Probate Service is called a Grant of Representation. This document is usually required by the asset holders as proof to show the correct person or persons have the Probate Service’s authority to administer a deceased person’s estate.

What is the Probate Service?

The Probate Service forms part of the Family Division of the High Court. It deals with ‘non-contentious’ probate business (where there is no dispute about the validity of a will or entitlement to take a grant), and issues grants of representation, either:

• Probate (when the deceased person left a valid will and an executor is acting)
• Letters of administration with will (when a person has left a valid will but no executor is acting)

• Letters of administration (usually when there is no valid will).

These grants appoint people known as personal representatives to administer the deceased person’s estate.

Current structure of the Probate Service

The Probate Service is currently made up of:

• The Principal Registry in London
• 11 District Probate Registries
• 18 Probate Sub-Registries situated throughout England and Wales

There are also a number of Probate “offices” (usually a room in a court or local authority building) which staff attend, as necessary, to interview personal applicants.

Find a Probate Registry