Form PA1P is the official HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) application used in England and Wales to apply for a grant of probate when the person who died left a valid will. It is the legal gateway to dealing with an estate.
Without a grant of probate, banks, building societies, HM Land Registry and insurance companies will not usually release funds or allow property to be sold. There are limits to that. Most banks and building societies set their own threshold below which they will release a balance to the personal representatives without a grant, and the Administration of Estates (Small Payments) Act 1965 allows certain assets to be paid out without one. Those thresholds vary between institutions, so it is worth asking each one before assuming a grant is needed. Where the estate includes a property, or balances above those limits, a grant will be required.
The form looks straightforward. The consequences of errors are not. This article explains where executors commonly go wrong with PA1P, why those mistakes happen, and why professional support can save months of delay. If the person who died did not leave a will, see our guide to form PA1A instead.
If you are in any doubt about any part of this form, speak to a solicitor before you submit.
What PA1P is and why it matters
PA1P is not simply an administrative task. Every answer you give feeds into how HMCTS and HMRC assess the estate, the executor’s authority, and any tax exposure.
93 per cent of applications in January to March 2026 were made digitally (MoJ, Family Court Statistics Quarterly), though a paper version remains available for postal applications. Whichever route you use, the form requires a precise account of the deceased’s assets, the executors’ details, and confirmation that the relevant inheritance tax (IHT) requirements have been met.
Getting that right requires legal and estate-administration knowledge that most first-time executors simply do not have.
A free consultation is available
If you are preparing to submit form PA1P, or you are unsure whether you have completed it correctly, professional advice can make a real difference.
At The Probate Network, you can:
- Request a probate quote tailored to your situation
- Book a free consultation with an experienced probate solicitor
There is no obligation. Just clear, practical advice before mistakes are made.
The sections of PA1P that catch executors out
Identifying the correct executors and applicants
Executors frequently include the wrong people or exclude someone named in the will. Others fail to address renunciations or reserved powers correctly. Even a small error here can invalidate the application or trigger further legal steps that add weeks to the process.
The form requires you to name any executors who are not applying and explain why. The reasons must match one of the standard categories, such as a prior death, renunciation, or power reserved.
Valuing the estate accurately
Inaccurate valuations are one of the most common PA1P pitfalls. Mistakes typically involve property (especially where a formal probate valuation or retrospective valuation is needed), shares, business interests, and jointly owned assets.
Executors also frequently confuse gross and net estate values. Incorrect figures can lead to HMRC queries, tax reassessments, or penalties later in the administration.
Inheritance tax declarations and the IHT reporting rules
The IHT position is one of the most important sections of the form, and the rules changed in January 2022. For deaths on or after 1 January 2022, the old IHT205 paper form no longer applies to excepted estates. Instead, executors report the estate’s summary figures directly within the PA1P application itself.
An excepted estate broadly means one where no IHT is due because the gross value falls below the available nil-rate band, or where the estate passes entirely to a surviving spouse, civil partner, or qualifying charity and the gross value is below £3 million. For those estates, no separate HMRC form is needed before applying.
Where the estate is not excepted, you must complete the full IHT400 with HMRC before submitting PA1P. HMRC will then issue a unique probate code confirming the IHT account has been processed. The updated PA1P now includes specific questions about whether you have received that code. You should allow at least 20 working days after sending the IHT400 to HMRC before submitting the probate application.
Even when no IHT is payable, the declarations within PA1P carry legal weight. Errors here can trigger unnecessary HMRC investigations, delay the issue of the grant, and create problems when distributing the estate.
Joint assets and trust interests
Many applicants misunderstand how to treat jointly owned property and trust interests. Assets that pass outside the estate by survivorship, for example a jointly owned home held as joint tenants, are treated differently from assets that form part of the estate. Declaring them incorrectly is a frequent cause of rejected or delayed applications.
Similarly, trust interests must be assessed carefully. Whether a trust asset should be included depends on the type of interest and the nature of the trust. This is an area where professional input is particularly valuable.
The legal statement
Section 9 of PA1P is headed “Legal statement”. By signing it you confirm that you hold the last will and any codicils, that you will collect the whole estate, keep full details and accounts of how it is distributed, provide those details to the court if asked, and administer the estate according to law.
That declaration carries genuine legal weight, and the form says so in terms: “Criminal proceedings for fraud may be brought against the undersigned if it is found that the evidence provided is deliberately untruthful or dishonest.” Beyond that, if errors come to light later, executors may face personal liability, beneficiaries may challenge the administration, and corrections can take months to resolve.
What happens when PA1P goes wrong
Errors do not just cause inconvenience. In practice, they can mean:
- The application is rejected or stopped by the Probate Registry
- Months of delay before assets can be released
- Additional legal and valuation costs
- Personal risk for the executor if incorrect declarations are made
The most recent published figures, from the Ministry of Justice’s Family Court Statistics Quarterly for January to March 2026, show a mean of 5 weeks from submission to the grant being issued. Digital applications that are not stopped are considerably quicker, at around 2 weeks, and they account for the great majority of cases: 93% of applications that quarter were made online. Applications that are stopped, because the registry needs further information or something does not match, took 14 weeks on average over the same period. Getting the form right first time is therefore the single most effective way to avoid delay. Many executors only realise something is wrong when the Probate Registry raises a query, often weeks after submission.
Why professional probate support makes a difference
A probate solicitor does far more than check a form. They:
- Identify risks before the application is submitted
- Ensure valuations and declarations are legally sound
- Coordinate correctly with HMRC requirements, including the IHT400 process and the unique probate code
- Protect executors from personal liability
- Reduce delays and avoid costly corrections
In many cases, early legal input saves far more time and money than it costs. Request a probate quote or book a free consultation through The Probate Network today.
Frequently asked questions
What is probate form PA1P used for?
Form PA1P is the official HMCTS form used in England and Wales to apply for a grant of probate where the person who died left a valid will. It gives executors the legal authority to deal with the estate, and banks, HM Land Registry and other institutions require sight of the grant before releasing assets or allowing property to be sold. You submit it online or by post to the Probate Registry, along with the original will, a certified death certificate, and the relevant inheritance tax information.
Do I need to complete an IHT form before submitting PA1P?
It depends on the estate. For deaths on or after 1 January 2022, most excepted estates (broadly those below the IHT threshold or passing entirely to a spouse, civil partner, or charity) report their figures directly within the PA1P application itself; no separate IHT form is required before applying. Where the estate is not excepted, you must submit the full IHT400 to HMRC first and wait at least 20 working days for HMRC to issue a unique probate code before you submit PA1P.
How long does it take to get a grant of probate after submitting PA1P?
The most recent published figures, from the Ministry of Justice’s Family Court Statistics Quarterly for January to March 2026, show a mean of five weeks from submission to the grant being issued, and around two weeks for digital applications that were not stopped. A stopped application, where the Probate Registry needs further information, took 14 weeks on average. Submitting a complete and accurate form first time is the most effective way to keep the process on track.
What is the current probate application fee?
The HMCTS probate application fee is £526 for estates worth more than £5,000. There is no fee for estates of £5,000 or less. This fee increased from £300 on 13 July 2026. Always check the current figure on GOV.UK’s probate fees page before you apply, as fees can change.
This article is for general guidance only and does not constitute legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and thresholds can change and every estate is different. For advice on your own circumstances, speak to a qualified professional. You can book a free legal consultation with an SRA-regulated solicitor through The Probate Network.
