Form PA11 UK: Power of Attorney for a Will Explained

At a glance

• What it does: Form PA11 lets a person entitled to a grant of probate or letters of administration with the will annexed appoint someone else — an attorney — to make the probate application and deal with the estate for them.
• Who typically signs it: the sole executor named in the will, an executor where all the other named executors have taken "power reserved" or formally given up their right to apply, or another person entitled to the grant, such as a beneficiary.
• Legal basis: rule 31 of the Non-Contentious Probate Rules 1987 — the "lawfully constituted attorney" of a person entitled to a grant may apply for administration for the use and benefit of that person.
• Goes with: the main paper application, Form PA1P, which is used where there's a will — not Form PA1A, which is for estates without a will.
• Not the same as an LPA or EPA: where the person entitled lacks mental capacity, a different route applies instead — someone already holding a registered lasting power of attorney or a signed enduring power of attorney for them.
• The grant is limited: the grant issued to the attorney lasts "until further representation be granted" — it isn't a permanent transfer of the entitlement.
• Fees: the form itself has no separate fee, but the probate application it supports does — check GOV.UK for the current amount.

What Form PA11 is for

Form PA11 — headed "Power of attorney (Will)" and issued through the Family Division of the High Court of Justice, Probate Registry — is the HM Courts & Tribunals Service form used when a person entitled to a grant relating to an estate with a valid will wants someone else, an attorney, to make the probate application and administer the estate instead of doing it themselves. GOV.UK's own description of the form is simple: it's used by "the executor or beneficiary" to appoint a person to act as their representative — see Form PA11 on GOV.UK.

Legally, PA11 gives effect to rule 31 of the Non-Contentious Probate Rules 1987: "the lawfully constituted attorney of a person entitled to a grant may apply for administration for the use and benefit of the donor." In practice this means the grant that's issued — letters of administration with the will annexed, rather than probate in the executor's own name — goes to the attorney, but it's taken out for the use and benefit of the person who signed the form (the "donor"), and it's a limited grant: rule 31(1) says it lasts "until further representation be granted, or in such other way as the ... registrar may direct."

That last point matters. Appointing an attorney under PA11 doesn't permanently hand over the entitlement to deal with the estate. The person who signed the form remains the one legally entitled to the grant; the attorney is simply authorised to act for them, for this estate, under this specific authority.

Who can use Form PA11

GOV.UK sets out when appointing someone under PA11 is available. You can appoint an attorney to apply for you if either:

• you're the only executor named in the will, or
• there are other executors named in the will, but all of them are either holding "power reserved" (they've agreed not to apply for now, while keeping the right to apply later) or have formally given up their right to apply ("renounced").

The form itself also allows a beneficiary, rather than an executor, to appoint an attorney — where that beneficiary is themselves entitled to a grant of letters of administration with the will annexed, for example because there's no executor able or willing to act. In every case, the person appointing the attorney needs to actually hold the entitlement to the grant before they can pass authority for it to someone else: you can't appoint an attorney to claim an entitlement you don't have.

If there's more than one executor and only some of them want to use PA11, check the form's own notes carefully. The current version flags a specific restriction: an attorney appointed for one executor cannot apply jointly with another executor who is applying in person. Multi-executor cases can need extra care — call the Probate Helpline (see "Getting help" below) if you're unsure how your situation fits.

PA11 and the main probate application: PA1P, not PA1A

PA11 doesn't stand on its own — it's submitted alongside the main paper probate application. Because PA11 only applies where there's a will, it goes with Form PA1P, GOV.UK's form to apply for probate by post either as an executor named in the will, or as a beneficiary if there are no executors. It isn't used with Form PA1A, which is the equivalent application for estates where the person who died left no will.

If the estate is intestate and someone wants to appoint an attorney to apply on their behalf, the form to use instead is Form PA12 — PA11's counterpart for intestate estates, which goes with PA1A rather than PA1P.

Registered LPA or EPA: the alternative route

PA11 isn't the only way to have someone else deal with a probate application. GOV.UK confirms you can instead appoint an attorney using a signed enduring power of attorney (EPA) or a registered lasting power of attorney (LPA).

The key distinction, drawn from rule 31(3) of the Non-Contentious Probate Rules 1987, is capacity. PA11 is the route used under rule 31(1) where the person entitled to the grant has capacity but simply doesn't want to act themselves — for example, because they live overseas, are unwell, or don't have the time. Where the person entitled to the grant lacks mental capacity, within the meaning of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, and someone is already acting for them under an EPA or a registered LPA, a different procedure applies instead of Form PA11.

This page focuses on Form PA11 itself. If your situation involves an existing EPA or LPA rather than appointing a fresh attorney for the probate application, GOV.UK's guidance on registered lasting powers of attorney (linked above) is the right starting point.

What the form asks you to provide

Form PA11 is divided into numbered sections. Based on the current version of the form:

1. The deceased's details. Full name, last address and date of death — this needs to match the death certificate and the will exactly, since discrepancies can cause the Probate Registry to raise queries and delay the grant.
2. The date of the will, and of any codicils. A codicil is a separate signed document that amends an earlier will; every codicil needs to be disclosed and dated correctly.
3. The details of the executor or beneficiary appointing the attorney, including whether they are the sole executor, one of several executors, the sole beneficiary, or one of several beneficiaries.
4. The attorney's details. The current form has space to name up to four attorneys.
5. The operative wording, appointing the attorney for the purposes of obtaining letters of administration with the will annexed of the deceased's estate, granted to the attorney for the appointer's use and benefit, until further representation be granted.

Signing and witnessing

Form PA11 must be signed as a deed, in the presence of an independent witness. GOV.UK's guidance on the form defines an independent witness as someone who is not related to the person appointing the attorney and who has no interest in the estate — so the attorney being appointed, and any beneficiary of the estate, shouldn't act as the witness. A neutral third party, such as a colleague or neighbour with no connection to the estate, is the safer choice.

Fees

Form PA11 itself doesn't carry a separate fee, but the probate application it supports does, and fees are subject to change. Check GOV.UK's current court and tribunal fees guidance, and whether you might qualify for help with fees, before you apply.

What happens after you submit it

Once the Probate Registry accepts Form PA11 together with the rest of the application, the grant — letters of administration with the will annexed — is issued to the attorney rather than to the person who signed the form, but it's taken out for that person's use and benefit, and it remains a limited grant. The attorney then has legal authority to collect in the estate's assets, settle any debts, and distribute what remains according to the will.

Getting help

If you need help completing Form PA11, or aren't sure it's the right route for your situation, GOV.UK signposts the Probate Helpline: 0300 303 0648, Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm (closed weekends and bank holidays). See our probate forms and guidance hub for the other forms that come up in this process, including Form PA12 for intestate estates.

This page provides general information about Form PA11 and how it fits into applying for probate in England and Wales. It is not legal advice and is not a substitute for advice tailored to your specific circumstances. The information here was accurate as at July 2026 and is subject to change — always check GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk for the most current position.

Last reviewed: July 2026 by a non-practising solicitor · Next review due: July 2027 or on legislative change.