After Grant of Probate UK: What to Do Next (2026)

Overview

Probate is the official process of proving a will is valid and giving the named executors the legal authority to deal with the deceased person's assets. The grant itself is a court document issued by the Probate Registry. Once you hold it, financial institutions, land registries, and other third parties will recognise your authority to collect in money, transfer or sell property, settle liabilities, and eventually pay what remains to the beneficiaries.

Where there is no will, the equivalent document is called letters of administration, and the person acting is an administrator rather than an executor. The general term for both roles is personal representative. Your duties are set out in law and in the will itself, and you can be held personally liable if you mishandle the estate.

That includes paying out to beneficiaries before settling debts, missing tax deadlines, or failing to advertise for unknown creditors. The post-grant phase is essentially about doing things in the right order, keeping clean records, and making sure nothing is overlooked before you distribute what is left.

Key steps

1. Send the grant to asset holders. Banks, building societies, pension providers, life insurers, and investment platforms will each want to see a sealed copy of the grant along with the death certificate. Order several sealed copies from the Probate Registry at the outset, as sending originals back and forth wastes weeks. Each institution has its own closure forms and timescales.
2. Open an executor's account and collect in the money. Many high street banks offer a dedicated executor or estate account. Using one keeps estate funds separate from your own, which protects you and makes the final accounts much easier to prepare. Transfer proceeds from closed accounts, pension lump sums, insurance payouts, and share sales into this single account as they come in.
3. Deal with property and land. If the deceased owned a home, check the title to see whether it was held as joint tenants, in which case it passes automatically to the surviving owner, or as tenants in common, where the deceased's share forms part of the estate. You will then need to decide whether to sell, transfer to a beneficiary, or hold it. Insurance on an empty property should be reviewed without delay.
4. Settle debts, tax, and liabilities. Before any beneficiary receives a penny, outstanding debts must be paid. This includes utility bills, credit cards, care home fees, and any remaining income tax or capital gains tax for the period up to death and during the administration. Consider placing a statutory notice under section 27 of the Trustee Act 1925 to protect yourself against unknown creditors.
5. Prepare estate accounts and distribute to beneficiaries. Once everything is gathered in and debts are paid, draw up estate accounts showing what came in, what went out, and what each beneficiary is due. Ask beneficiaries to sign off on the accounts before you pay out. Keep all paperwork for at least twelve years, as questions can surface long after distribution.

Common questions