Letters of Administration Calculator

Letters of administration are granted by the Probate Registry when someone dies without a valid will (intestate). They give the administrator legal authority to deal with the deceased's estate — collecting assets, paying debts, and distributing to beneficiaries according to intestacy rules. The application is made to the Probate Registry with a £300 court fee (estates over £5,000).

The order of entitlement is: surviving spouse/civil partner, children (over 18), parents, siblings, half-siblings, grandparents, then aunts/uncles. If no relatives can be traced, the estate passes to the Crown (bona vacantia). Only two administrators can be appointed. If a beneficiary is under 18, at least two administrators are required.

The court fee is £300 for estates over £5,000 (no fee for smaller estates). DIY applications cost just the court fee. Fixed-fee probate services charge £1,000-£3,000. Full solicitor service is typically 1-2% of estate value, so £4,000-£8,000 on a £400,000 estate. Disbursements (valuations, death certificates) add £200-£500.

From application to grant of letters of administration typically takes 8-12 weeks. The full administration (collecting assets, paying debts, distributing) usually takes 6-12 months. Complex estates with property, multiple accounts, or IHT liabilities can take 12-18 months. The administrator should not distribute within 6 months of the grant (due to the notice period for creditors).

If the deceased had a spouse/civil partner: the spouse gets all personal possessions, the first £322,000 of estate, and half the remainder (children get the other half). If no spouse: everything goes to children equally. If no children: parents, then siblings, then half-siblings, then grandparents, then aunts/uncles. Unmarried partners receive nothing under intestacy rules.