Form

Apply for probate by post if there is not a will: Form PA1A

Use this form to apply for letters of administration to manage the estate of the person who has died if they have not left a will.

From:
HM Courts & Tribunals Service
Published
20 March 2020
Last updated
20 January 2025 — See all updates

Documents

Apply for probate online

https://www.gov.uk/applying-for-probate/apply-for-probate

Citizen applicants: PA1A

PDF, 953 KB, 26 pages

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Probate practitioners: PA1A

PDF, 788 KB, 22 pages

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How to apply for probate by post if there is not a will

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Details

If you are applying online, you do not need to submit a paper application as well.

You can apply for the legal right to manage the estate of someone who has died and did not leave a will. You will receive ‘letters of administration’ to prove your legal right to manage their estate.

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If the form still does not open, contact hmctsforms@justice.gov.uk.

If you need a printed version contact your local court.

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Updates to this page

Published 20 March 2020
Last updated 20 January 2025 + show all updates

  1. Updated the contact time to 12 weeks in the guidance.

  2. Uploaded new Welsh forms

  3. Uploaded new versions of the Welsh forms.

  4. Updated the probate helpline opening times.

  5. Questions about receiving a letter from HMRC with a unique probate code (as part of the Inheritance Tax process) have been added to the forms.

  6. Updated phone line opening times

  7. The legal statement has been updated on both the citizen and practitioner forms. The practitioner form also has an updated QR code.

  8. Updated phone line opening times

  9. Updated April's bank holiday week opening times

  10. Added a Welsh version of the practitioner form

  11. Removed the pre-2022 citizen applicant only form.

  12. Updated opening times for the probate helpline

  13. Corrected small error where field for legal representatives firm wasn’t appearing on legal statement page of the form.

  14. Edited the contact us section - The Probate helpline is closed on Saturdays.

  15. Updated form page with new paper forms for applicants with and without an excepted estate

  16. Added information about how to pay.

  17. Helpline information updated.

  18. Revised PA1A form including equality and diversity questions.

  19. New form for legal practitioners published.

  20. First published.

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