Probate and Estate Administration for Accountants
Probate represents one of the biggest business opportunities for the accountancy profession, enabling you to create an additional revenue stream from new and existing clients.
The opening up of probate work to appropriately authorised accountancy firms provides an opportunity for you to provide additional support to your clients, save them money and generate more business for your firm. You may already be providing tax planning and estate accounts services to clients. Facilitating non-contentious probate work is a very natural extension of this existing service.
How to become accredited for probate
Our certificate and assessment has already helped hundreds of firms acquire the training and accreditation needed to apply for a probate licence.
In order to apply for accreditation to provide probate services from ICAEW, or from ACCA you must first attend a suitable training course and pass an assessment (although there are exemptions for those who have another qualification that meets all the learning objectives for probate).
Our Certificate in Probate and Estate Administration involves attending a training course and then sitting a separate assessment. Please note that you must have attended our training course before you can sit the assessment. Both the course and assessment are now available to complete online.
Probate Practitioners Conference
This one day conference provides essential CPD and updates for accountants who offer probate services to their clients.
Certificate in Probate and Estate Administration - Course
The course is available Live Streamed via Mercia Live and runs over 4 half days. There is also an On-demand service which consists of 4 x 3 hour sessions.
The courses and assessments are held on different dates and you will need to book onto both separately if you wish to obtain the certificate.
Certificate in Probate and Estate Administration - Assessment
If you've attended our probate training course you can sit the assessment.
The two hour exam is a mixture of short questions and multiple choice questions.
The required pass mark is 50%. Certificates will be issued approximately 4 weeks after the assessment.
Other probate products
Probate and IHT - A Tax Refresher
This online course focuses on the Inheritance Tax issues arising during the probate process. It covers the IHT reporting process, Domicile matters, impacts of lifetime gifts, and more.
Probate compliance manual
The Probate Compliance Manual provides extensive guidance and ready-to-use templates to help you carry out probate assignments for clients, whilst ensuring your firm complies with the Probate Regulations..
Probate compliance reviews
Our probate compliance reviews can help ensure you are complying with the Probate Regulations and implementing best practices.
News and opinion
Probate Diversity Survey 2023
On 31 March 2023, firms accredited to carry out probate services are required to complete the 2023 Probate Diversity Survey. This is a statutory obligation relating specifically to probate firms arising from Section 1 of the Legal Services Act 2007.
Probate practitioners must apply online
HM Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS) have informed probate practitioners that applications must be made online.
Probate – a farewell to statements of truth
As a part of their digitalisation and rationalisation of the probate systems and procedures HMCTS have changed the approach to be taken when an authorised practitioner applies for a grant of representation on behalf of their client. Authorised practitioners will now be required to complete a PA1 form.
