Acting as an Executor - Part 3: Applying for the Grant
Once an executor has been identified and they have obtained values for all of the assets and debts, they can then make an application for a Grant, if it is required.
An estate where the deceased owned property or land in their sole name will require a Grant to ensure any buyer can be confident they are handing over the purchase money to the correct person.
Most banks and building societies will let the executor know if a Grant is required when the date of death values are obtained.
As part of the process of applying for a Grant, you may also need to complete a full Inheritance Tax return, known as an IHT400, if the estate is taxable or where the affairs of the deceased were more complex.
Where there is Inheritance Tax to pay this must be agreed with HM Revenue and Customs before the application for the Grant can be submitted.
There are a number of different types of Grant that can be applied for but the two most common are:
- Grant of Probate
- Grant of Letters of Administration
If a bank or other institution refers to a Grant of Probate in their literature it can mean either a Grant of Probate or a Grant of Letters of Administration.
On average an application for a Grant is currently taking around 16 weeks.
Grant of Probate
The Grant of Probate is applied for when there is a Will. This application is now normally made online, via the Probate Registry pages on the Gov.uk website.
The original Will is sent to the Probate Registry as part of the application process and is retained by the Probate Registry. So it is vital to retain a copy of the Will so you can refer to it when distributing the estate and to ensure that you comply with the deceased’s instructions.
Grant of Letters of Administration
A Grant of Letters of Administration is issued when there is no Will.
The application for this type of grant can only currently be made online in very specific circumstances and generally the application has to be sent in by post.
At present paper applications are taking significantly longer to process than online applications with some taking over 12 months to be issued.
The Probate Registry will review the application and may contact you for further information. Care should be taken when completing the application to ensure that all of the information required is supplied as any queries raised will delay the issue of the Grant.
Once the Grant has been received you can then start dealing with the assets, for example: selling property, shutting bank accounts, cashing in investments and selling shares.
If you have been appointed as an Executor and you’d like to speak about your roles and responsibilities, please contact Cath Collins on 01945 898090 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
