Probate · England & Wales
Letters of administration explained
Last reviewed 18 August 2026
Where a person dies leaving no will, there is no executor to name; the law appoints an administrator instead, and issues letters of administration in place of a grant of probate.
Who can apply
The right to apply follows a statutory order of priority — usually the spouse or civil partner first, then children, and so on. The administrator’s duties mirror an executor’s: gather the estate, settle debts and tax, and distribute under the intestacy rules.
How it differs
The application uses form PA1A rather than PA1P, and the estate is distributed according to the intestacy rules rather than a will. The £526 fee and thresholds are otherwise the same.
Questions
Who inherits if there is no will?+
The estate passes under the intestacy rules, which set a fixed order — and may exclude an unmarried partner entirely.
Is the fee different without a will?+
No — the £526 application fee applies the same way.
Official sources
GOV.UK — Applying for probateHM Courts & Tribunals ServiceGOV.UK — If someone dies without a willSources. GOV.UK, Applying for probate (PA1A); intestacy rules.