Costs
Probate search service UK: which option is actually worth it?
Written and reviewed by our experienced team. Checked against GOV.UK on 16 August 2026. ProbateCheck is an independent service, not a law firm.
A probate search service finds whether a grant of probate exists and obtains the will. You can search GOV.UK for free and order the copy for £16. Commercial will-search firms typically charge £65 to £300 for the same public record. ProbateCheck is £29 all in: we search every name variation and the right index years, obtain the documents, lodge a standing search if needed, and explain the result.
| Service | Fee | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Search the probate index | Free | gov.uk/search-will-probate |
| Copy of a will or grant (online) | £16 | gov.uk (from 17 Nov 2025) |
| Standing search (6 months) | £4 | gov.uk, form PA1S |
| Search by post (form PA1S) | £16 | gov.uk |
| ProbateCheck managed search | £29 | search + copy + explanation, done for you |
The three ways people actually do this
- Do it on GOV.UK: search is free. A copy of the grant and the will is £16. You have to handle the grant-year trap, name variations, and a blank result yourself.
- A commercial will-search firm: typically £65 to £300+. Where probate has been granted, the document they retrieve is the same £16 public record.
- ProbateCheck, £29 all in: we run the search properly, order the official copy, lodge a £4 standing search if no grant exists yet, and send a plain-English explanation. Government fees included.
They are not finding a secret will
Once a grant is issued, the will is a public document. A more expensive firm is not searching a private register you cannot reach. The extra money is for the work and, sometimes, a wider hunt if no grant exists.
When the £29 service is the better option
- You do not want to learn the grant-year quirk or guess whether a blank result means there is no will.
- The name has a maiden name, a middle name used as a first name, or an uncertain year.
- The death was recent and you may need a standing search lodged and watched.
- You want the grant and the will explained, not just attached to an email.
Let us do the whole search, £29 all in
We search every name variation across the correct index years, obtain the grant and the will, lodge a standing search if no grant exists yet, and explain it all in plain English. Government fees included.
Start with a free checkFrequently asked questions
What does a probate search service do?+
It searches the England and Wales probate records for a named person, obtains the grant of probate and the will where one was proved, and tells you what the documents mean. Searching the index yourself is free; a copy costs £16 from GOV.UK.
Is a paid will search better than GOV.UK?+
Not on the record itself. Where a grant exists, everyone is retrieving the same public document. You pay for the search being done properly, for a standing search if nothing is granted yet, and for someone to read the result.
How much should a probate search cost in the UK?+
The official copy is £16. Commercial firms often charge £65 to £300. ProbateCheck is £29 all in, including government fees and a plain-English explanation.