England and Wales
You can apply for probate yourself. We are building something calm to help you do it.
When someone dies, the paperwork arrives at the worst possible time. CalmProbate is a self-help tool that asks you plain questions and helps you complete your own probate forms, at your own pace. You stay the applicant. You review everything. You sign and send it.
The tool is still being built. The guides below are free, written from official GOV.UK, HMRC and HMCTS sources, and available right now.
This site covers probate in England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different processes.
Start here
Do you even need probate?
Not every estate needs it. If everything was held jointly, or there were only savings, the banks may release funds without a grant. Worth checking before you do anything else.
Check whether you need itWhich form: PA1P or PA1A?
It comes down to one question: was there a will? PA1P if there was, PA1A if there was not. The rest follows from that.
Work out which formWhat will it cost?
The court fee is £526 for estates over £5,000, and nothing at or below it. Help with Fees exists if money is tight.
See the real costsGuides
All 10 guidesIHT205 or IHT400? Which Inheritance Tax Form You Actually Need
For deaths on or after 1 January 2022 the answer is usually neither: IHT205 no longer exists for those deaths, and most estates send no tax form at all.
12 min · Updated 2026-09-18
How to Apply for Probate Without a Solicitor (England and Wales)
You can apply for probate yourself, online or by post. Here is the full process, what it costs, how long it takes, and when to hand it to a solicitor instead.
14 min · Updated 2026-09-17
Do You Need Probate? How to Check Before You Apply
Many estates never need a grant of probate. Here is how to check, asset by asset, before you spend £526 and three months finding out.
11 min · Updated 2026-09-17
How Long Does Probate Take? A Realistic Timeline
The court usually issues the grant within 12 weeks. But that is one stage of a job that often runs six to twelve months. The honest timeline, stage by stage.
11 min · Updated 2026-09-17
What CalmProbate is, plainly
What it is
- Software that helps you complete your own probate forms.
- Plain-English questions instead of a 28-page government form.
- Arithmetic done on the figures you enter, shown back to you to check.
- A pack you print, sign and post yourself, in your own name.
What it is not
- Not a firm of solicitors, and not legal advice.
- Not a service that applies for probate on your behalf.
- Not a replacement for a solicitor where an estate is genuinely complicated.
- Not finished. It is being built, and there is no date we can promise yet.
Common questions
- Can you apply for probate without a solicitor?
- Yes. In England and Wales an executor named in the will, or the closest living relative if there is no will, can apply for probate themselves, online or by post. GOV.UK states plainly that applying yourself can be cheaper than paying a probate practitioner to apply for you.
- What does CalmProbate actually do?
- CalmProbate is software that asks you plain-English questions about the estate and helps you complete your own HMCTS probate forms from your answers. You review everything, you sign it, and you submit it in your own name. It is a self-help tool, not a probate service.
- Is CalmProbate a firm of solicitors?
- No. CalmProbate is not a firm of solicitors and does not provide legal advice. It is a self-help tool that helps you complete and submit your own forms, and it is not a substitute for advice from a solicitor.
- How much does it cost to apply for probate?
- The court application fee in England and Wales is £526 where the estate is over £5,000, and there is no fee at or below that. Extra sealed copies cost £2 each when ordered with the application. You pay that fee to HMCTS, never to us.
- How long does probate take?
- GOV.UK states you will usually get probate within 12 weeks of submitting your application, and that it can take longer if you need to provide extra information. Postal applications take longer to process than online ones.
- Is CalmProbate available yet?
- Not yet. The tool is being built and there is no launch date we can promise honestly. The guides on this site are free and available now, and you can ask us to tell you when the tool is ready.
- What will CalmProbate itself cost?
- There is one product and its price follows the estate rather than a package you choose. Where HM Revenue and Customs does not need full details of the estate it will be £199; where it does, and an IHT400 is needed too, £449. Nothing is on sale yet, so there is nothing to pay and no card to enter. Which one applies is something we work out and explain, not something you have to know in advance.
We'll tell you when it's ready
The tool is still being built, so there is nothing to sign up to yet. If you would like to hear when it is finished, email us and we will keep your address for that one purpose and nothing else.
When it is ready it will be £199 where HMRC does not need full details of the estate, and £449 where it does and an IHT400 is needed too. One product: which price applies is a fact about the estate, not something you pick. There is nothing to pay now and no card to enter.
Email hello@calmprobate.co.ukWe cannot tell you a launch date yet, because we do not know one. We would rather say that than invent one.