A solicitor and YouCanDoProbate both get you to exactly the same place: your Grant of Probate. The difference is what you pay, how long it takes, and who is in control. Here is an honest comparison.
A solicitor does not gather your information. You do.
This is the part most people do not realise until they are in it. When you instruct a solicitor for probate, you still collect all the estate information yourself. The bank balances, the property valuations, the pension details, the gift history. That work is yours either way.
What the solicitor does is take that information and complete the forms, the calculations and the inheritance tax. That is exactly what the platform does, automatically, for £499.
Line by line. Same outcome, very different cost.
YouCanDoProbate
Solicitor
Typical cost
£499 fixed
£1,500 to £30,000+
Percentage of estate taken
Never
Sometimes
You gather the estate information
Forms completed for you
Estate calculations handled
Inheritance tax and exemptions
You act as executor
You stay in control of timing
Typical timeline
Weeks
6 to 18 months
Support when you need it
Unlimited, included
Billed by the hour
Estate administration service
Not included
Available, extra cost
The one thing a solicitor offers that we do not is full estate administration, actually distributing the estate for you. Most people do this themselves easily. If you want it done for you, that is the one case where a solicitor adds something we do not.
THE INSIGHT THAT CHANGES THE MATHS
You are not paying a solicitor for legal work. You are paying for form-filling.
For a straightforward estate, there is very little actual law involved in probate. It is administration. Accurate forms, correct calculations, the right exemptions. Once you see that, paying thousands for it stops making sense.
“What I thought was a legal process is in fact an administrative task which everyone is capable of doing.”
— K S Willis, Verified Trustpilot Review
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.
Expert help is there whenever you need it.
YouCanDoProbate is designed so that most people work through it without needing to contact us. Every section includes built-in guidance explaining what is being asked and why. Video explanations are available throughout the platform so you are never left guessing.
But if you do need help, our UK-based support team is available at every stage of your application. Every question is answered by a real UK-based person who knows probate. Not a chatbot, not an overseas call centre. Someone who can look at your specific situation and give you a straight answer.
Phone and scheduled callback
Call us directly on 0800 689 1447, Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm. Or book a callback from within the platform at a time that suits you. You choose the date and time and a member of the team calls you.
Email, live chat and support ticket
Send a question by email, start a live chat session, or raise a support ticket from within your account. We respond promptly. All support is included in your £499.
Screen share
If you need us to walk through a specific section with you, we can join a screen share session and guide you through it directly. No need to describe the problem. We can see exactly what you are looking at.
LET US BE FAIR
Sometimes a solicitor is genuinely the right choice.
We are not going to pretend a solicitor is never worth it. There are estates where legal expertise matters, and in those cases we will tell you honestly before you spend anything.
Contested or disputed Wills where parties disagree
If your estate involves any of these, a solicitor may be the right call. For the vast majority of estates, which are administrative rather than contentious, the platform does the same job for far less.
People who chose us over a solicitor.
Saved £9,000
“When the solicitors quoted me £9,000 I decided to look for help elsewhere. I am so glad I did. This company was brilliant and saved me a great deal of money.”
Pringo
Verified Trustpilot review
Grant before appointment
“I received my Grant of Probate before the solicitor I originally contacted could even offer me an appointment. Extraordinary difference.”
Verified Trustpilot Review
Verified Trustpilot review
Highest standard
“The support is the highest standard I have ever experienced across any sector. YCDP gave me the control I desired.”
K S Willis
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.
Want to know more first
One fixed price of £499. Exactly what it covers and what it costs.
Pricing →
See exactly how the platform works, from first question to completed forms.
How It Works →
Every question answered about the platform, the process and the price.
FAQs →
Less cost. Less time. Less stress.
Same Grant of Probate. A fraction of the cost. Your application done properly, with expert support whenever you need it.
