Do I need probate?
Very often Executors or beneficiaries believe that because there is a will, probate is not required.
Typically, probate is required when assets held by the Deceased in their sole name exceed £15,000. In light of this the most common reasons why you might need probate are to :-
- Release monies held in a bank account belonging to a Deceased person
- To sell a property belonging to a Deceased person
- To transfer or to sell Shares owned by a Deceased
- To claim monies under a life insurance policy
- To bring a claim by the estate eg. Care Home Fees Recovery or a PPI claim or a medical negligence action
If you are unsure about the probate and whether you need probate, call our probate advice helpline on 0845 568 4000.
When you are unlikely to need probate
You should always seek legal advice upon whether probate is required, however typically probate is not required in the following circumstances :-
- For jointly held assets such as bank accounts, or property
- For small sums held in banks. Most banks will release assets below £5,000 without probate
- Insurance policies when there is a nominated beneficiary
- Assets that fall outside an estate eg. a life policy
What are the banks limits for probate ?
Often a great deal of confusion is caused by banks having different limits in which they will require probate. As at January 2022, the limits by which banks will require probate are listed below.
- Barclays £50,000
- National Savings and Investments (NSI) £5,000
- Santander £50,000
- Nationwide £50,000
- HSBC £20,000 ( although subject to review)
- Halifax £50,000
- Lloyds £50,000
- First Direct £20,000
- Tesco Bank £50,000
- Post Office £30,000
- Skipton Building Society £30,000
Our latest blog on probate limits can be seen by clicking here.
If you are unsure whether you need probate ? call us now on 0845 568 4000 and let us help.
Helpful Articles
After the death of my mother, who was a U.S. citizen with assets in the U.K., I contacted TM Solicitors to handle the... UK Grant of Probate necessary to settle her estate. Everything was done efficiently and in a highly professional manner. My contact at TM Solicitors, Rebecca Sidebottom, did a super job. She always responded to questions promptly and was able to explain the process and keep me informed. The fees and charges were clear and reasonable. Obtaining a Grant of Probate from overseas can be an onerous and daunting process, however, TM Solicitors and Ms Sidebottom made sure everything was done with the minimum of stress. TM Solicitors did a very good job and I can highly recommend them.read more
TM Solicitors have completed the application for Probate and have Administered the Estate of my late Brother in Law... very professionally and in a caring manner. My Wife and I would recommend TM Solicitors to anyone needing Legal Services within their scope of expertise. Many thanks to all concerned, especially Holly Philips.read more
Tim has been highly professional, efficient and friendly all the way through the probate process. He has updated and... communicated with us on a regular basis and has been transparent about all costs/timescales/aspects. We would not hesitate to recommend him and his team to anyone looking for excellent service at a very competitive price. It was Tim's knowledge, helpfulness and integrity which made TM Solicitors stand out from other firms we had previously used. We wish them continued success.read more
TM Solicitors have been so responsive and helpful with advice both over the phone and via email whilst they dealt with... probate on my Father In Law's Estate. Rebecca Sidebottom felt like a safe pair of hands at a difficult time and we couldn't be happier with her service.read more
I had absolutely fantastic support from TM Solicitors on a very long process to bring my husband's UK assets to... Australia. They dealt with many many delays caused by other parties and kept me sane as well as actually achieving the result I needed!read more
I fully recommend TM solicitors for handling probate and inheritance tax. Tim was very helpful at all times, he... answered emails very promptly and explained the process over the telephone when I had queries. Probate was also obtained very quickly and smoothly. Tim also handled the deed of variation to my mother's will. An excellent serviceread more
I highly recommend TM Solicitors. I needed to have my Canadian Grant of Probate resealed in the UK and the service I... have received has been outstanding. They removed so much stress dealing with completing UK Inheritance Tax forms and patiently waited for an exceptionally long time to receive the necessary papers from our legal system which I found frustratingly slow. Outstanding team.read more
I would never have been able to sort probate without the help of TM solicitors, especially Vicky. To try and coordinate... all the UK red tape and a NZ/UK time zone would have been impossible at such a vulnerable time. They understood the grieving process and were friendly and thoughtful. Definitely recommend.read more
A highly professional legal service with a great supporting team that were able to explain each step of the process in... a clear and concise manner. I would highly recommend without hesitation. Excellent value for services.read more
Tm Solicitors were an absolute joy to deal with in a time of of loss if one can put the two words in the same sentence... ! They responded promptly to all emails and there was always somebody on the phone I could speak to when needed. All paperwork was sent promptly when needed. We also had probate to deal with in Ireland and Vicky went above and beyond to facilitate in getting all the relevant paperwork to Ireland. The fees were exactly as they quoted with no extra charges. I would not hesitate to recommend them...read more
Shortly after my father passed away early 2020, I began to "attempt" to get his estate in order but very quickly hit a... road block. Creditors wouldn't talk to me because I didn't have letters administration and I couldn't get letters of administration without having access to to his accounts.I called up and originally spoke to Tim Murden who very quickly reassured me he and his team would be able to resolve this for me. I was contacted by Rebecca who has been a star from start to finish, and she got to work right away. Unfortunately shortly after we got started, the UK went in to lockdown and everything come grinding to a halt. During lockdown, Rebecca was unable to progress my case, but still maintained contact. As soon as people started to return to work again she picked it all back up and got the ball rolling again.Throughout this process, Rebecca has repeatedly chased all the relevant parties and even went above and beyond when I was having a an issue with conveyancing solicitors. I hope that I never have to use her services again (in the nicest way possible), but if I did I wouldn't use anyone else, and I would recommend TM Solicitors to anyone.Thanks again for all your help.read more
Sorry for the late response ...Rebecca Sidebottom desires a wage rise as she so helpful and extremely professional... when dealing with clients, her knowledge is fantastic and I can recommend this company highly.read more
I'm writing this without being prompted as I have been so impressed with the probate service from TM Solicitors. From... my first phone call through to the final estate accounts and distribution, Suzanne Underwood has been so helpful. I found them via a Google search and called on the strength of Google reviews. Their fees are very reasonable and they only take them at the very end even if that's many months away, so no stress there. And as I have just discovered, they remain helpful and proactive even after they have been paid and everything has been officially concluded. My family and I are very grateful.read more
I would like to take this opportunity to say a very BIG THANK YOU to TM Solicitors, in particular Rebecca Sidebottom... for the help and support which began nearly 2 years ago relating to my late sister's Estate. There have been many ups and downs over this period, but Rebecca has been very supportive in providing very good advice where needed. The ERYC were particularly difficult to get them to refund the Council Tax which was due to us, but Rebecca kept me informed all the way. I would highly recommend TM Solicitors to any of my family or friends. Trishread more
I have never left a review online before, but the service here from Suzanne Underwood was so outstanding that I... persisted to work out how to login to write a review. Employing TM solicitors from overseas here in Australia to sort out UK Legal issues with regards to Reseal of probate and wills, it was so reassuring to have someone on the ground who could communicate so efficiently with both me as well as the necessary institutions and authorities in UK.Suzanne kept me up-to-date on all progress at all times without me even prompting, she is simply outstanding. Her efficiency in working on the job has resulted in me having less stress about this whole situation. This was certainly a lot more than I expected when I first appointed them. Highly recommended.Once again a very special thanks to Suzanne Underwood who is just an amazingly efficient person, and a great communicator and this is rare these days.Regards, Tinaread more
We originally were quoted an extortionate fee (4+ times as much) by a different solicitor. We found TM just through... google search and opted for them because of their much cheaper and fixed fee. I have to say, I could not fault the service. Vicky Dunn was my contact there and she was just fantastic. Her personality and the way she dealt with everything - she was so efficient and so thorough, and kind and sensitive with it. She could not have been more helpful. As a result, I have talked about TM Solicitors to various friends and recommended that if and when they are in the same situation, needing a probate solicitor, that they head straight for this company, and Vicky in particular. I don't have any knowledge of anyone else at the company, but Vicky was utterly brilliant. TM - I don't know what you pay her, but give her a bonus or a rise. She's solid gold as an ambassador for your company. (Lastly, my name is Jane Lyons! For some reason when the review window pops up, it is defaulting to my son's name. Clearly a problem at my end, but I'm afraid I don't know how to sort it out right now). All the very best, Jane.read more
