Searching records
Search probate records online (free)
Written and reviewed by our experienced team. Last verified against gov.uk on 26 July 2026. ProbateCheck is an independent service, not a law firm.
You can search the England and Wales probate records for free. Enter the full name and the year the person died, and the public index shows whether a grant of probate has been issued. Searching is free; ordering a copy of the will or grant costs £16. Records cover 1858 to the present, with a digital index from 1996.
How to search, step by step
Enter the name and year
Use the full name of the person who passed away and the year they died. Start with the surname if you are unsure of spellings.
Check the year of death and the year after
Records are filed under the year the grant was issued, not the year of death. Probate takes around 12 to 16 weeks, so a death late in one year often appears under the next. Search both.
Try name variations
Maiden names, a middle name used as a first name, and small spelling differences all cause a blank result that looks like “no will exists”. Try each variation.
Order the record
When you find the right person, a copy of the grant and the will (where one was proved) costs £16 from GOV.UK. New records appear online around two weeks after a grant is issued.
Nothing found?
An empty result is very often a false negative, not proof that there is no will. The most common causes are the grant-year quirk above, a name variation, or that probate has not been granted yet. See why a probate search finds nothing.
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
Is searching probate records free?+
Yes. Searching the England and Wales probate index at gov.uk is free. You only pay £16 if you order a copy of a will or grant of probate.
How far back do the records go?+
Probate records for England and Wales go back to 1858. The fully digital, name-searchable index covers grants from 1996 onward; earlier records exist as scanned yearly calendars.
How soon after death can I find a will?+
A will only becomes public once a grant of probate is issued, which typically takes 12 to 16 weeks. New records appear online around two weeks after the grant. A very recent death often shows nothing for months.