Or call 0800 689 1447 · Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm
ICAEW accredited
Same technical work as a solicitor
Unlimited UK-based expert support
About that quote
What solicitors typically charge for probate, and why it feels so high
If you have already been quoted for probate by a solicitor, you will have seen that the fees can be substantial. Here is what most people encounter.
Fixed fee quotes from high street solicitors typically range from £1,500 to £5,000 or more for a straightforward estate. Many firms also offer percentage-based fees, commonly 1 to 3 percent of the estate value. On a £300,000 estate that is between £3,000 and £9,000. On a larger estate, significantly more.
Banks offer probate services too. Their fees tend to be higher still, often 2 to 4 percent of the estate, making them among the most expensive options available.
And here is what surprises most people: none of these fees change the amount of work you have to do. You still have to gather every piece of estate information yourself, whether you use a solicitor or not. The bank statements, the property valuations, the details of gifts. A solicitor does not find this for you. You collect it all, then hand it over.
What you are paying for is the technical part. The form completion, the calculations, the exemptions. That is the work that costs thousands.
That is the work YouCanDoProbate does for £499.
“I had been quoted £5,000 to £7,000 for a solicitor to do my mum’s probate. It was very easy, and when I did have a query, it was answered really quickly.”
Verified Trustpilot review
The part most people discover too late
Whether you use a solicitor or not, you still gather the same information.
Most people assume the high solicitor fee buys them out of the time-consuming part of probate. It does not.
The estate information, the bank accounts, the property values, the gift records, the beneficiary details, the death certificate, the Will, this is all gathered by you regardless of which route you take. A solicitor works from what you provide them. They do not investigate the estate.
What the fee buys you is the technical work that comes after. The estate calculation, the exemptions, the inheritance tax determination, the form selection, the form completion.
YouCanDoProbate does all of that. Automatically. From the same information you would hand to a solicitor. For £499.
“You have to supply a solicitor with the information anyway, so why not use YouCanDoProbate for a fraction of the cost and do it yourself? I couldn’t have completed this application without their help.”
Mrs L Whitfield, Verified Trustpilot
The honest comparison
What you get from a solicitor vs what you get from YouCanDoProbate
YouCanDoProbate
High street solicitor
Bank probate service
Typical cost
£499 fixed
£1,500 to £5,000+
Often 2 to 4% of estate
Percentage of estate taken
Never
Sometimes
Usually
Forms completed for you
Estate calculations
Exemptions applied
IHT worked out
You still gather the information
Unlimited support included
Varies, often billed
Rarely
Work at your own pace
Typical Grant timeline
3 to 6 weeks from posting
12 weeks or more
12 weeks or more
No legal knowledge needed
Not required
Not required
What you get for £499
Every part of the technical work, handled for you
All probate forms completed
PA1P or PA1A, whichever your estate requires, filled in accurately from your answers. If your estate involves inheritance tax, the full IHT400 series is completed too. Ready to print and sign.
Estate calculation and inheritance tax
The platform calculates the full estate position, applies all available exemptions including the Transfer of Nil Rate Band and Residence Nil Rate Band, and works out whether inheritance tax is due and how much. You do not need to understand the rules.
Unlimited expert support
UK-based probate specialists by phone, email, live chat, and support ticket. Included as standard. Not billed per hour. Not limited to a few calls. Unlimited, for as long as you need it.
ICAEW accredited
Accredited for compliance by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. The same professional body that regulates accountants. Independently assessed, not self-declared.
Rated 4.9 on Trustpilot
By hundreds of people who switched from a solicitor quote to YouCanDoProbate, or who were on the verge of booking a solicitor and found us instead.
14-day money-back guarantee
Try YouCanDoProbate risk-free. If it is not right for you, let us know within 14 days of purchase for a full refund. No questions asked.
Watch first
See how it works in 90 seconds
A short, friendly walkthrough of the whole process, from registering to posting your forms.
HOW IT WORKS
Four simple steps to your Grant of Probate
Everything is designed to take you smoothly from registration to ready-to-post forms. Most customers receive their Grant of Probate within 3 to 6 weeks of posting.
Would you rather be talked through it? Call us on 0800 689 1447 and we’ll help.
1
Enter the details
The platform guides you through a logical series of questions about the person who died, their Will if there was one (it works either way), and their estate, including assets, belongings, and gifts. It’s the same information you’d hand a solicitor.
2
Let the platform do the hard part
YouCanDoProbate applies any available exemptions, calculates the full position of the estate, and works out whether any inheritance tax is due. You don’t need to understand the rules. We handle them for you.
3
Get your completed forms
The platform knows exactly which forms you need. It generates your completed probate forms, along with any inheritance tax forms required, ready to print and sign.
4
Print, sign, and post
You receive full submission guidance covering what to send, where to send it, and how. Print your forms, sign them, and post them with confidence.
Who this is for
You do not have to accept the quote you were given
You received a quote that felt disproportionate
A solicitor gave you an estimate of thousands of pounds, or offered a percentage-based fee, and you are not sure that level of cost is justified for your estate.
You received a quote from a bank or will-writing service
Banks and some will-writing services offer probate as an add-on service, often at premium rates. The underlying process is the same as YouCanDoProbate and the price difference is significant.
You are undecided between a solicitor and DIY
You know you do not want to pay thousands. But you are not confident enough to use the free government forms without any guidance. YouCanDoProbate is the middle ground most people in this position do not know exists.
Not the same as doing it yourself via GOV.UK
This is not the same as downloading the forms and hoping for the best
If you are considering switching from a solicitor quote to the DIY government route, be aware that the free GOV.UK option leaves you to work everything out alone. No form completion. No estate calculation. No exemption identification. No guidance on which forms you need. No one to check your work.
YouCanDoProbate handles all of that. The forms are completed for you. The calculations are done for you. The exemptions are applied for you. The submission guidance is clear and specific. And our UK-based team is there throughout if you need them.
It is the outcome of using a solicitor, at a fraction of the cost, with you in control of your own application.
How it works
The same technical work as a solicitor, in four simple steps
Register and start the walkthrough
Answer plain-English questions about the person who died, their estate, and their Will if there was one. The same information you would give a solicitor. Nothing more.
The platform does the hard part
Calculations, exemptions, inheritance tax, form selection. All of it handled automatically behind the scenes. You do not need to understand any of it.
Get your completed forms
All the right forms, fully completed from your answers, ready to print and sign. The platform will not generate them until every section is complete, so nothing gets missed.
Print, sign, and post
Clear submission guidance tells you exactly what to send, where to send it, and how to post it correctly. Most of our customers receive their Grant of Probate within 3 to 6 weeks of posting.
From people who made exactly this switch
People who cancelled their solicitor appointment and applied themselves
Nearly hired a solicitor
“I was on the verge of hiring a solicitor for 5th March 2025 at a cost of £1,503. I searched online and came across YouCanDoProbate. Once completed we received probate forms back within 2 weeks.”
Verified Trustpilot
Verified Trustpilot review
Smooth process
“I can’t believe how incredibly smooth the probate process was. I was on the verge of hiring a solicitor, which would have cost me a small fortune.”
Verified Trustpilot
Verified Trustpilot review
Such a saving
“Having been quoted over £1,000 from a solicitor, the cost of using YouCanDoProbate was such a saving.”
Mrs Sally Baxter
Verified Trustpilot review
No percentage fee
“I had talked to a solicitor who wanted 1 to 5 percent of the value of the house. Then I found YouCanDoProbate. Any questions I had were only a phone call away.”
Verified Trustpilot
Verified Trustpilot review
Saved £10k
“Probably saved us £;10k in solicitors fees. I had one query and somebody called me within 30 minutes and explained everything simply.”
Grant Champion
Verified Trustpilot review
Thousands saved
“First class one-on-one support from experts on probate. Using YouCanDoProbate saved me thousands of pounds of legal expenses.”
Firebladeboy
Verified Trustpilot review
Is it right for your estate?
Is YouCanDoProbate right for your estate?
YouCanDoProbate works for nearly any estate in England and Wales, including estates with an inheritance tax liability. Here is what the platform covers, when it is worth a quick conversation first, and the small number of situations where a different route would be more appropriate.
Yes, the platform works for your estate
The person died on or after 1 January 2022
They were domiciled in England or Wales, or were a long-term UK resident living in England or Wales
PA1P and PA1A Probate forms
IHT400 Inheritance Tax forms and all applicable schedules
Estates with a Will
Estates without a Will (Intestacy Walkthrough included)
Full submission guidance: what to send, where, and how
Integrated written and video guidance
Save your progress and return any time
Unlimited support by phone, email, live chat and ticket
14-day money-back guarantee
The only additional cost is the official £526 Probate Registry fee for estates over £5,000, paid directly to HMCTS. Compare that to thousands in solicitor fees, for a process you would still have to help with anyway.
The quote you received does not have to be the answer.
YouCanDoProbate does the same technical work as a probate solicitor. The forms, the calculations, the exemptions. All of it, automatically, from the information you provide. The difference is the price, the speed, and the fact that you stay in control of your own application.
