What are letters of administration?
Letters of administration are the equivalent of a grant of probate where there is no valid will (or no executor able to act). They give the deceased's next of kin — the ‘administrator’ — authority to administer the estate under the intestacy rules. The administrator must follow the statutory order of priority to apply and to distribute.
Detailed explanation
Same job as probate, different starting point: the law, not a will, sets who inherits and who can apply.
- Applied for when there is no will, or the will names no able executor.
- Granted to those entitled under the intestacy rules — usually the spouse, then children.
- The administrator collects in, pays debts and distributes per the intestacy rules.
Dev dies without a will. His wife applies for letters of administration as the person first entitled under the intestacy rules, then administers the estate and distributes it according to those rules — a share to her, the rest to their children.
- Complete the questionnaireA few guided questions about you, your family and your wishes.
- Human reviewYour answers are checked by the ClearLegacy editorial team for completeness.
- Receive your documentsYour will and supporting paperwork are produced, ready to print.
- Sign correctlyClear instructions on signing and witnessing so the will is legally valid.
- Protect your familyYour wishes are recorded and your loved ones are spared the intestacy default.
Sources
- GOV.UK — Applying for probate (application fee £300; estates over £5,000)
- GOV.UK — Probate fees and additional copies (£16 per copy)
- HM Courts & Tribunals Service — probate timeliness statistics, 2025
- GOV.UK — Valuing the estate of someone who's died
- Reviewed by
- ClearLegacy editorial team
- Last reviewed
- June 2026
- Next review
- December 2026
- Jurisdiction
- England & Wales
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