How to contest a will

Last reviewed 18 August 2026

Few disputes are as bitter as those that follow a death, and none is more time-pressed. If you mean to challenge a will, the law gives you room to do it — but only if you act quickly, and on proper grounds.

Where to begin

The usual first move is to enter a caveat at the Probate Registry. It costs £3 and stops a grant being issued for six months, which buys you time to look into your concerns before the estate is distributed and the money is gone.

Alongside that, gather what you have: the will itself, earlier wills, the deceased’s medical records if capacity is in doubt, and any correspondence. A solicitor will usually ask the will-writer for their file under the Larke v Nugus procedure — a standard request that often settles matters one way or the other early on.

Is your claim worth bringing?

Two questions decide it: do you have a recognised ground (see below), and do you have standing — a real interest in the estate, whether as a beneficiary, a family member, or someone the deceased ought to have provided for. If both hold, take advice before the deadlines pass; some are unforgiving.

Sources. GOV.UK, Applying for probate (caveats, PA8A); Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975; Larke v Nugus practice.