What is a PA1P Form?

PA1P FORM | Read Time 2-4 Minutes.

This article explains exactly what a PA1P form is and what you need to know before filling yours in. If you need our help applying for probate, you can contact us today and we’ll put you in touch with one of our private client partners. 

What is probate?

Put simply, probate is the process of sorting out and handling someone’s affairs after they pass away. A grant of probate is a legal document that you’ll need when going through someone’s “estate”. This gives you the authority to distribute and generally sort out someone’s home, finances and possessions when they die.

The majority of people will need a grant of probate. The only exception to this will be when the person’s estate is less than £10,000. The difficulty with probate is that it can be incredibly complex, especially if someone’s estate is particularly large and complicated. That’s why we always recommend having a lawyer on your side when the time comes.

Who can fill in a PA1P form?

A probate (or PA1P) form can have up to four applicants, known as the executors, who can all register their details on the form.

How do I fill in a PA1P form?

Due to the nature of the form and the type of information you will need to provide, we will never recommend filling in a PA1P form alone. Should you make any mistakes on the application, even something as simple as a spelling mistake, you may have to complete the form again and risk adding extra time, and potentially additional costs, to your application.

There is a separate PA1P form provided by the government when a legal professional applies for probate on behalf of a client. This form is even longer than a standard PA1P (although only by 2 pages) and will require specific attention from your lawyer.

What do I do if there is no will?

The main difference between having and not having a will is the type of applicant. If there is a will, then the executors are applying for the grant of probate. However, if there is no will, then the people applying (known as the “personal representatives” of the estate) will go through a slightly different process.

To apply for probate if there is no valid will, you’ll need to fill out a PA1A form, which is slightly different to a PA1P form. Depending on the success of your application, you’ll receive “letters of administration” which will prove you have the right to distribute the estate in the absence of a will.

How much does probate cost?

Applying for probate always comes with a set number of fees that are defined by the government. If someone’s estate is less than £5,000, then there are no governmental fees. In this case, you may not need to apply for probate. However, if your estate is more than this, the government charge is £215. However, if you are instructing a lawyer to fill in your PA1P form for you, you will have to pay for legal fees on top of this.

And how long does it take?

The government advises that probate can take 8 weeks to complete if there are no complications. However, we normally find that filling in the PA1P form and completing probate from start to finish can take significantly longer than this.