Form PA15: Renouncing Probate as Executor (England & Wales)

At a glance

• What PA15 does: allows a named executor — or a person otherwise entitled under the will, such as a residuary legatee — to permanently renounce the right to apply for probate or letters of administration with will annexed (England and Wales only).
• When to use it: before you have started dealing with the estate. Once you have intermeddled — collected assets, paid debts, or managed property — the right to renounce is generally lost.
• Alternative to consider first: power reserved (rule 27, Non-Contentious Probate Rules 1987) allows an executor to stand aside from the initial application without permanently giving up the role.
• The form: 3-page PDF, "PA15 — Renunciation (Will)", published by HM Courts and Tribunals Service; last updated 10 December 2024 (updated November 2024 to confirm it also covers administrators); free to download from GOV.UK.
• How to submit: signed as a deed by you, in the presence of an independent witness who is not related to you and has no interest in the estate; given to the executor or administrator who is applying for the grant.
• Legal basis: rule 37 of the Non-Contentious Probate Rules 1987 (SI 1987/2024); retraction of a renunciation always requires the leave of a district judge or registrar, and that leave may be given only in exceptional circumstances where a grant has already been made to some other person entitled in a lower degree, under rule 37(3).
• Probate application fee: £526 for estates over £5,000 (from 13 July 2026 court fee uprating); no fee for estates of £5,000 or less. This is paid by whoever applies for the grant — not by you, if you renounce (check GOV.UK for the current fee).
• Renunciation does not affect your inheritance: stepping down as executor has no effect on any legacy or share of the estate you are entitled to as a beneficiary.

This page provides general legal information, not advice about your specific situation. If you are unsure whether to renounce, or whether you may already have intermeddled, it is worth speaking to a legal adviser before signing anything.

What renunciation of probate means

When someone dies leaving a will, the people named as executors in that will have the right to apply to the Probate Registry for a grant of probate. The grant is the legal document that gives them authority to deal with the estate — collecting in assets, settling debts and taxes, and distributing what remains to the beneficiaries.

Being named as an executor does not oblige you to act. The law in England and Wales recognises that circumstances change and that not everyone who is appointed will be willing or able to take on the role. Renunciation is the formal process by which a named executor — or, where relevant, a person otherwise entitled to apply — permanently gives up that right.

A renunciation lodged using Form PA15 is treated as final once the Probate Registry accepts it, subject only to the narrow retraction route described below. The effect is that the renouncing person is regarded as though they were never appointed executor under that will. They can no longer later decide to step forward, claim the role, or be treated as having executor status. The position is set out in rule 37 of the Non-Contentious Probate Rules 1987 (SI 1987/2024), which governs renunciation in England and Wales.

Rule 37(3) does provide a narrow route to retract a renunciation, but only with the leave of a district judge or registrar — and that leave may be given only in exceptional circumstances once a grant has already been made to some other person entitled in a lower degree on the strength of the renunciation. The decision to sign PA15 should be made on the assumption that it cannot be reversed.

What renunciation is not

Renunciation is not a refusal of inheritance. If the same person is both an executor and a beneficiary under the will — which is common — renouncing the executor role has no effect on their entitlement to whatever the testator left them. Stepping down from administering the estate and receiving a gift under the will are entirely separate things. Refusing an inheritance itself is done by a deed of disclaimer, a different process entirely (see HMRC's guidance on disclaimers), and generally must happen before the beneficiary has accepted any benefit from the gift.

Renunciation is also not a way of removing an executor who is unwilling to cooperate. The right to renounce belongs to the executor personally; it cannot be compelled by the other executors or by the beneficiaries.

Power reserved: the alternative worth understanding first

Before deciding to use PA15, it is worth understanding a less drastic option that the probate rules also allow: power reserved.

Where a will appoints more than one executor, it is not necessary for all of them to join in the initial probate application. One executor can apply for the grant while another simply stands aside at that stage — with their right to prove the will kept open for the future. This is called having power reserved to them, and it is governed by rule 27 of the Non-Contentious Probate Rules 1987, which requires the applying executor to confirm that notice of the application has been given to the executor to whom power is reserved.

Power reserved is appropriate where an executor is temporarily unavailable, is abroad, is unwell, or simply does not wish to be involved in the early stages but may want to participate later — for example, if a dispute arises or if they change their mind. It does not close off future involvement.

The critical difference from renunciation:

| | Renunciation (PA15) | Power reserved | |---|---|---| | Right to act as executor later | Lost permanently (subject to the narrow rule 37(3) retraction route) | Kept open | | Form required | PA15 | No separate form; the applying executor confirms notice was given, per rule 27 | | Can it be reversed? | Only with a district judge's or registrar's leave — and only in exceptional circumstances once granted to someone else entitled in a lower degree | Yes — the executor with power reserved can apply to prove the will later | | Extra fee if the reserved executor later applies? | Not applicable | Yes — GOV.UK treats this as a second application, currently £22, regardless of estate value | | Suitable for | Permanent departure from the role | Temporary or uncertain absence |

If you are unsure whether you want to be involved at all, or if there is any chance your circumstances might change, power reserved is worth considering before signing a PA15. Bear in mind, though, that if the power-reserved executor does later come forward, GOV.UK's current fee guidance treats that as a second application to an estate where probate has already been granted — carrying its own £22 fee even where the estate is worth £5,000 or less (check GOV.UK for the current fee before assuming this cost).

The intermeddling bar: why you must act before dealing with the estate

The right to renounce is generally lost if you have intermeddled in the estate before signing PA15. This is one of the most important rules in this area and catches more people than they expect.

There is no single statutory definition of intermeddling — it has developed through probate practice rather than being set out in one Act. In broad terms it means taking steps that are only available to an executor: collecting in bank accounts or other assets, paying creditors, selling property or possessions, or otherwise actively managing the estate. Once you have done any of those things, even informally or with good intentions, established probate practice treats you as having accepted the role of executor — and the right to renounce disappears.

It is worth noting that the declaration on PA15 itself uses a specific form of words: you declare that you "have not intermeddled in the estate of the deceased and will not hereafter intermeddle therein with intent to defraud creditors." That phrasing is historical, but it should not be read as meaning only intermeddling done deliberately to defraud creditors will cause a problem — in practice, dealing with the estate's assets at all, regardless of your intentions, is what puts the right to renounce at risk.

What does not count as intermeddling

Not every action taken after a death will amount to intermeddling. The law recognises that people close to the deceased often take immediate practical steps that are necessary regardless of who eventually administers the estate:

• Arranging the funeral
• Securing the deceased's home (for example, changing a lock to prevent unauthorised access, or arranging for perishables to be removed)
• Registering the death
• Notifying relevant organisations of the death
• Gathering the deceased's paperwork or holding personal belongings safe, without dealing with them

These steps are generally not treated as intermeddling. The line is between taking care of urgent practical necessities and actually beginning to deal with the estate's finances or assets.

If you have already intermeddled

If you have already done something that might constitute intermeddling, do not simply proceed to sign PA15 in the hope that it will resolve the situation. A renunciation signed after intermeddling does not undo the intermeddling; it can instead create ambiguity and legal complications for the estate. The usual route in that situation is an application to the court under section 116 of the Senior Courts Act 1981, which allows the court to pass over a person with a prior right to a grant — including one who has intermeddled — in favour of someone else. That is a court application, not a simple form, and taking advice before doing anything further is important in that scenario.

How to complete and submit Form PA15

Form PA15 — officially titled "Give up probate executor or administrator rights" and headed "PA15 — Renunciation (Will)" on the document itself — is published by HM Courts and Tribunals Service. The current version (updated 10 December 2024) is a 3-page PDF, available free of charge from GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/form-pa15-give-up-probate-executor-rights.

Do not use an older version of the form. HMCTS updates probate forms periodically, and using an outdated version can delay or complicate the process. Note also that this is a different form from PA17, which is used specifically where the executor renouncing is a partner, member, director or shareholder in a professional firm.

Step-by-step

1. Check whether you have intermeddled. Work through what you have done since the death. If you have gone beyond practical necessities and started dealing with assets or debts, stop and take advice before going any further with PA15.

2. Consider power reserved. If there are other executors and you are not certain you want to step away permanently, check whether power reserved would meet your needs instead. That option does not require a separate form.

3. Download the current version of PA15 from GOV.UK. Read the notes printed on the form itself. Make sure you understand what you are signing before filling anything in.

4. Complete the form in full. According to the form, you need to provide: the deceased's forename(s) and surname as shown on the death certificate, their last address, and their date of death; the date of the will and the date of any codicils (the form allows for up to three); and your own full name, address and email address as the person renouncing. You must also confirm whether you are a sole executor and/or residuary legatee and devisee holding in trust, or one of several executors and/or residuary legatees and devisees holding in trust. Every section must be completed — a partially filled form will be returned.

5. Sign the form as a deed, in the presence of an independent witness. The form's own definition is precise: the witness must not be related to you (the person renouncing), and must have no interest in the estate — so a beneficiary under the will should not act as your witness. The witness must also sign and date the form and print their name.

6. Give the completed, signed form to the executor or administrator who is applying for the grant. The renunciation does not take effect simply by being signed — it takes effect when it is lodged with the Probate Registry as part of the grant application. Keep a copy for your own records.

If you are the sole executor

If you are the only executor named in the will, your renunciation means there is no executor left to apply for a grant of probate. In that situation, the entitlement to apply passes to the people entitled under rule 20 of the Non-Contentious Probate Rules 1987 — starting with any residuary legatee or devisee holding on trust for another, then other residuary legatees or devisees, and so on down the order the rule sets out. Those people would apply for a grant of letters of administration with will annexed rather than a grant of probate. The practical authority is the same — the administrator can deal with the estate — but the process is different, and it is usually sensible to make the beneficiaries aware of your decision promptly so they can take the necessary steps.

What happens after you renounce

The effect on the estate

Your renunciation removes you from the administration entirely. Any remaining executors named in the will can proceed with the probate application without you. If there are no remaining executors, or if they also renounce, a person entitled under rule 20 of the Non-Contentious Probate Rules 1987 will need to apply for letters of administration with will annexed instead.

The estate itself is not affected by your renunciation. The assets, debts, and beneficiaries remain the same. What changes is only who is responsible for administering the estate and applying for the grant.

Your position as a beneficiary

If you are also a beneficiary under the will, you continue to be entitled to your legacy or share of the estate. Whoever does administer the estate is legally obliged to distribute it in accordance with the will's terms — your entitlement does not depend on your taking on the executor role.

Can the renunciation be undone?

Once PA15 has been accepted by the Probate Registry, the renunciation is treated as final in almost all practical cases. Rule 37(3) of the Non-Contentious Probate Rules 1987 gives a district judge or registrar a narrow discretion to permit retraction; that discretion is confined to exceptional circumstances only once a grant has already issued to some other person entitled in a lower degree on the strength of your renunciation, and even then it is rarely granted. The decision to sign PA15 should be made on the assumption that it cannot be reversed.

Fees

There is no fee attached to Form PA15 itself. The probate application fee — £526 for estates worth more than £5,000, and no fee for estates of £5,000 or less, following the court fee uprating that took effect on 13 July 2026 — is payable by the person who applies for the grant, not by the person renouncing. Extra copies of the grant ordered at the same time as the application cost £2 each; if you need copies after the application has already been submitted, each one costs £16. If probate has already been granted and a second application is later needed — for example, where a power-reserved executor decides to come forward — GOV.UK's current guidance sets that fee at £22, payable regardless of the estate's value. Check GOV.UK's probate fees page for the current amounts before submitting any probate paperwork, as fees are reviewed periodically.

If you need help with the probate fee, you can apply for help with fees online or use form EX160 before applying for probate. You cannot get help with the fee for extra copies of the probate document.

Probate helpline

If you need guidance on completing Form PA15, the HMCTS Probate helpline is available on 0300 303 0648, Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm (closed weekends and bank holidays). They can help with procedural questions about the form but cannot give legal advice.

This page provides general information about renouncing as an executor under Form PA15 in England and Wales. It is not legal advice and is not a substitute for advice tailored to your specific circumstances. The law and fees described were accurate as at July 2026 and are 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.