How to find a Will or a Grant of Probate

To find out whether or not a person who has recently died, has left a will, or whether a grant has been issued, you can order a copy of the grant and/or will from the Probate Office.

You must complete an application for a search using form PA1S, a copy of which you can download via hmctsformfinder.justice.gov.uk

A search costs £10 per search and you will need to provide some information about the deceased (their name, any alternative names they were known by, their date of death and their full address. This information helps the probate registry identify the correct deceased person.

If a grant has been issued in the estate you are searching, then you will be provided with a copy of the grant and, if it is a grant of probate, you will also be provided with a copy of the Will.

Where the death occurred within the previous 6 months, you can also apply for a Standing Search. If a grant is issued within next the 6 months from the date of the application, you will receive a copy of the grant and, if it is a grant of probate, a copy of the will to which the grant relates. The Standing Search is renewable at the end of the six month period, upon payment of a further £10 fee.