We connect you with an experienced probate solicitor in your county — for grants, estates, and inheritance — with clear guidance every step of the way.
Choose a service to start your enquiry — we’ll match you with the right solicitor.
Probate is the legal process of dealing with someone’s money, property, and possessions after they die. Whether you need it depends on what they owned — and how they owned it.
Unsure? That’s exactly the kind of question we answer every day. Send a short enquiry and a solicitor will tell you — plainly and without obligation — whether a grant is needed at all.
Before a bank releases funds or a property can be sold or transferred, the person handling the estate needs official authority from the Probate Office of the High Court — a Grant of Representation. A Grant of Probate issues where there is a valid will; Letters of Administration issue where there is none. The grant proves the will is valid (or who is entitled to act) and gives the applicant the right to gather in the estate, pay debts and taxes, and distribute what remains to the beneficiaries. If you’ve been named as an executor, or you’re the next of kin where there’s no will, you’re the person the law expects to apply — and a solicitor can handle the entire application on your behalf.
Every estate is different, but most follow the same six steps — and your solicitor walks them with you.
Tell us about your situation using the short form below. Free, confidential, no obligation — matched with a solicitor usually within one working day.
Your solicitor confirms whether a grant is needed, who should apply, and sets out the timeline and costs in writing.
You get a clear checklist — death certificate, will, asset details. Your solicitor writes to every bank and institution, so you don’t have to chase anyone.
The Statement of Affairs (SA.2), oath, and papers are prepared and lodged with the Probate Office — with any queries handled directly until the grant issues.
Accounts are closed, shares and property sold or transferred, and debts, expenses, and any tax paid from the estate.
The estate is distributed under the will or the rules of intestacy, with a final estate account showing exactly where everything went.
Experienced probate solicitors in every county — local knowledge, or fully remote by phone, email, and post.
Solicitors who handle grants, estates, and Revenue requirements week in, week out — not general practices that dabble.
Plain English at every step. You’ll always know what a term means, what happens next, and what it costs.
Enquiries answered within one working day, with callbacks arranged at a time that suits you.
Fixed-fee options for straightforward estates where available, and a written costs estimate before any work begins.
Real people who understand that behind every probate file is a family that has lost someone. No jargon, no pressure.
What probate costs depends on the estate — but a good solicitor tells you before work begins, not after. The main factors:
Every estate also pays Probate Office fees, set by the Courts Service and scaled to the estate’s value, plus outlays such as Land Registry and valuation fees.
Many solicitors in our network offer fixed-fee probate for straightforward estates — the full cost, upfront.
For complex estates, you’ll receive a detailed written costs estimate before anything begins, as every solicitor in Ireland is legally required to provide.
If cost is a concern, say so in your enquiry and we’ll prioritise fixed-fee solicitors in your county.
Wherever you are — and wherever the estate’s assets are — choose your county to learn more about probate services in your area.
Applications go through the Probate Office in Dublin or a District Probate Registry — your solicitor uses whichever is fastest. Most estates today are administered entirely by phone, email, and post.
Once a complete, correct application is lodged, the Probate Office typically issues a grant within a number of weeks to a few months, depending on current waiting times. The full process — from first meeting to final distribution — commonly takes six to twelve months for a straightforward estate, and longer where property must be sold, tax issues arise, or the application is queried. A solicitor who prepares the papers correctly the first time is the single biggest factor in avoiding delay.
No — personal applications are possible through the Probate Office. However, most executors instruct a solicitor because the application must be legally exact, the executor is personally responsible for mistakes, and errors can cause months of delay or, in the worst cases, personal liability. If the estate includes property, foreign assets, tax complications, or any family tension, professional help is strongly advisable.
Both are Grants of Representation issued by the Probate Office. A Grant of Probate issues where there is a valid will and the named executor applies. Letters of Administration issue where there is no will — the nearest next of kin applies, and the estate is divided under the rules of intestacy in the Succession Act 1965. Letters of Administration with will annexed cover the middle ground, where there is a will but no executor able or willing to act.
The Succession Act sets fixed rules. A surviving spouse or civil partner with no children takes the whole estate; a spouse with children takes two-thirds, with one-third divided equally among the children. If there is no spouse, the children inherit equally; if there are no children, the estate passes to parents, then siblings, and so on through the wider family. A solicitor can confirm exactly how these rules apply to your family.
An executor must locate the will, arrange the probate application, gather in and protect the estate’s assets, pay debts, funeral costs and taxes, keep proper accounts, and distribute the estate to the beneficiaries. Executors act in a position of trust and can be held personally liable for errors — which is why many choose to instruct a solicitor to carry out the work under their instruction.
Fees depend on the size and complexity of the estate, and every solicitor must give you a written estimate of costs before starting work. Many solicitors in our network offer fixed fees for straightforward estates. Probate Office fees, valuations, and Land Registry outlays are paid in addition, from the estate — not from your own pocket.
Yes. Reasonable legal fees, Probate Office fees, funeral expenses, and administration outlays are legitimate expenses of the estate and are paid from estate funds before anything is distributed to beneficiaries. You should not have to fund the process personally, although some outlays may need to be advanced and refunded once funds are released.
Ireland charges Capital Acquisitions Tax on inheritances above certain tax-free thresholds, which depend on your relationship to the person who died — children have the highest threshold, with lower thresholds for other relatives and non-relatives. Anything above your threshold is currently taxed at 33%, subject to reliefs such as the dwelling house exemption, agricultural relief, and business relief. A solicitor or tax adviser can calculate your position and identify any reliefs before returns are filed.
Wills can be challenged on grounds such as lack of capacity, undue influence, or failure to execute the will properly, and children can bring Section 117 claims where they believe a parent failed in their moral duty to provide for them. These claims have strict time limits — some as short as six months from the grant issuing — so if you have concerns on either side of a dispute, take advice early. We can connect you with solicitors experienced in contentious probate.
Yes. Executors and beneficiaries living outside Ireland can administer an Irish estate entirely remotely through a solicitor here. Equally, where an Irish resident owned assets abroad — or a foreign resident owned Irish property — a separate or resealed grant may be needed in each country. Cross-border estates benefit greatly from a solicitor experienced in international probate; mention it in your enquiry and we’ll match you accordingly.
Free, confidential enquiry — no obligation, no pressure, and a response within one working day.
All enquiries are confidential and free of charge. A probate solicitor will respond within one working day.