IWC Probate & Wills
With our support, you can achieve your aims far more easily, and without unnecessary stress or expense.
Whatever you need, with full transparency and fixed cost
IWC’s specialist probate practitioners provide low-cost probate services across the UK. We agree and fix our fees before we begin, and we can either provide simple support and advice for your application or take care of the entire process on your behalf.
We also provide expert help at low cost for estate planning, will writing, online wills, medallion guarantees, probate reseals, power of attorney and inheritance tax management.
Your initial consultation with us is free of charge, with no obligation to proceed. We’re here to advise and help in any way we can, but we’ll never sell you a service you don’t need.
Get in touch to find out more
Simply contact us here or call us 020 8150 2010 to arrange your free consultation. We look forward to clarifying your options and discussing the best way forward. Remember – your initial conversation with IWC is free of charge.
Services at a glance:
Probate
Obtaining a Grant of Probate means contacting the Inland Revenue and the UK Probate Court, and a fair amount of paperwork. It can be a complex process, but it’s one we’ve handled many times and understand inside out – so don’t hesitate to call us if you need any advice or assistance. We offer a fixed-fee service, and can call or visit you at your convenience to explain how we can make the probate application much easier.
Overseas Probate
IWC provides expert overseas probate services to help you deal with estate of a lost loved one who lived overseas or managed assets in a foreign country. Dealing with the admin of different legal systems and complex paperwork can be tricky and time-consuming if you’re not used to it. The good news is, we are used to it, and we’ll gladly impart free initial advice on how best to handle overseas probate – and offer a low fixed-fee service that deals with everything on your behalf.
Medallion Guarantee
If you need a Medallion Guarantee (aka Medallion Stamp or Barcoded Medallion Signature) in order to sell or transfer shares or funds from the USA or Canada – we know exactly what to do, and will gladly help you.
Wills and estate planning
IWC offers expert services for will writing, trusts, lasting power of attorney, and estate planning – backed by vast knowledge and decades of experience. We enjoy close partnerships with trusted professional will writers across the UK, and are more than happy to provide consultation and advice, and refer you to expert practitioners closer to home.
Inheritance Tax planning
Helping beneficiaries to avoid unnecessary Inheritance Tax is all about planning and preparation, and is most effective when backed by expertise and experience. We’re specialists in will writing, inheritance tax laws and probate, and can share legal advice and guidance at every step to help you offset liabilities and mitigate inheritance tax.
Genealogy research
IWC provides a professional and comprehensive genealogy research and tracing service, and is highly experienced in tracing family members. As probate research specialists, we have access to a wide range of historical archives including probate records and wills. Giving you peace of mind of mind when researching your family history.
How can we help?
To discuss any aspect of our expert services, contact us here.
Or, for instant confidential consultation or impartial advice, please call 020 8150 2010.
Remember – your initial conversation with IWC is free of charge.
Explore our Probate services
Obtaining a Grant of Probate involves dealing with the Inland Revenue and the UK Probate Court, which can be complex and time-consuming – but not if you talk to IWC. We provide free initial advice and offer a fixed-fee service, and can visit you at your convenience for a no-obligation consultation.
Find a Will
Do you need to Find a Will? We can assist, whether you are looking to find a will of a recently deceased person or whether you need to find the Will of a person who has died and you need to see if Probate has been applied for we can assist. We offer a fast service for finding Wills.
Share Valuation for Probate
When dealing with estate administration, it’s important that Executors secure the correct valuation for stocks and shares held by the deceased. We offer expert help with the formal valuation required for Inheritance Tax, and can provide it via appointed solicitors, accountants or lay Executors.
FAQ’s
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Can I Speed Up Probate in London?
The only way to expedite a case is if the circumstances are urgent, such as a court order against the property or a property sale agreed prior to the deceased’s passing.
Why Is My Probate Taking So Long?
Probate can be lengthy, and it depends on the estate as a whole. The higher the estate value, the longer the process can take due to tax implications.
What Causes Probate Delays in England?
Probate can be delayed for numerous reasons, but the most common is the probate court raising enquiries regarding an application. This includes missing, incorrect, incomplete paperwork, or queries on the Will itself. The probate court will put a stop on the application whilst they contact you regarding this which can add months onto the process.
How Long Does Probate Take in London?
The whole probate process can take over a year to finalize depending on the complexity of the estate.
How Long After Grant of Probate Do I Get the Money?
It depends on what assets the deceased held, the closing of UK bank accounts can take around 4-6 weeks however if the deceased had overseas assets this can lengthen the process. If a property needs to be sold this cannot be sold until the grant has been obtained. It is recommended once all assets have been cashed in and debts have been paid off that the monies is held for a statutory 6-month period before distributing incase a claim is made against the estate.
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Do I Need Probate or Can I Skip It?
Probate is needed when someone either owns a property in their sole name or if they have other assets in their sole name. Each financial institution sets their own probate limit, and they can ask for a grant of probate for assets ranging from £5,000-£50,000. Most UK highstreets banks will have a £50,000 threshold, however places like Monzo Bank or National Savings will ask for a grant of probate if the value of assets exceeds £5,000. If an individual has little to no assets, less than £5,000 probate is typically not required.
How Much Does Probate Cost in the UK?
The court fees to apply for probate are £300, with each grant being £16 each, however from the 13th July 2026 subject to parliamentary approval, the fees will be increasing to £526 and each grant being reduced to £2 each.
Can I Apply for Probate Online in the UK?
You can apply for probate online in the UK if you are the husband/wife/civil partner or child of the deceased, if not you must apply for probate by post.
What Happens If Probate Takes Too Long?
If probate takes too long, you can ask the probate court to expedite the application; however, the probate court will only consider this if it urgent, such as a house sale falling through, but this is not a guarantee. There isn’t a fixed date as such that you must have probate completed by, but bills and estate costs will still accumulate until you can finalise the estate. If estate bills continue to accumulate, you can explain the situation to the institution (such as mortgages, gas, electric etc) and they can put the account on hold until the estate is in receipt of funds.
How Long Does It Take to Get a Probate Certificate?
The probate court timelines are typically up to 6 months for the grant of probate to be issued, however this can take longer.
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Is Probate Faster If I Hire a Solicitor?
Solicitors cannot typically speed up the probate process as such as this is guided by the financial institution’s timelines, probate court timelines, HMRC etc however they will be chasing regularly, and dealing with all issues in a timely manner which you may not personally be able to do. However, hiring a solicitor/probate firm may speed the process in the way of the burden is taken away from the family and the solicitor will be working on an estate as their full-time job rather than family members dealing with the estate in their spare time.
What Slows Down Probate Applications?
Probate applications can be slowed down for a number of reasons; there can be issues with financial institutions not responding within their estimated timelines. The executors could also be holding probate up by having little knowledge of the deceased’s assets thus making it harder to collate asset information. There could be a dispute within the family which can put a hold on probate for months, or the validity of the Will could be challenged.
Why Does Probate Take 6 Months in England?
Probate can take up to 6 months as this is the current UK court guidelines to work through applications and issue the grant.
How Long Do Solicitors Take to Process Probate?
Solicitors’ timelines are usually between 6-12 months for a straightforward estate and between 12-18 months for a more complex estate; however these timelines can change depending on the probate court timelines.
How Long Does It Take to Access a Will After Death?
You usually can access a Will within a few weeks by contacting the firm holding the Will and providing all documents necessary for each executor to have the Will released. Should the deceased hold the Will at home, this will be available imminently.
Still Have Questions?
Explore more information on our FAQ’s page or, to discuss any aspect of our expert services, contact us here.
Or, for instant confidential consultation or impartial advice, please call 020 8150 2010.
Remember – your initial conversation with IWC is free of charge.
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