Mental Capacity Assessment
PA14 Probate Medical Certificate Assessment
Court-ready PA14 assessments for probate applications where an executor or applicant may lack capacity, across England and Wales.
A PA14 is a probate medical certificate used where there are concerns that a person lacks capacity in relation to an application for a Grant of Representation and the administration of an estate. It concerns a living person, usually a named executor or administrator, and is different from a testamentary capacity assessment of the deceased. Every PA14 we complete includes the certificate and a full CPR Part 35 compliant capacity report.
£600 + VAT
Certificate and full report included
5 working days
Typical turnaround
England and Wales
Nationwide coverage
PA14 plus CPR Part 35
Certificate and full report as standard
Nellie Supports is England and Wales' largest identified specialist private social work and mental capacity assessment practice, delivered by a permanent full-time team. Services are provided by employed, multidisciplinary professionals, not an ad hoc associate, contractor or referral-panel model. We have completed over 11,000 formal assessments and reports. This service sits alongside our full range of mental capacity assessment services.
When you may need a PA14 assessment
A PA14 probate assessment is usually needed when there are concerns that a person cannot deal with the legal and practical responsibilities involved in applying for probate or administering an estate. The Probate Registry may require a PA14 medical certificate before the estate can move forward.
This commonly arises where a named executor can no longer act, where a solicitor needs evidence before progressing the application, where the Probate Registry has requested a PA14, or where a GP has declined or is unable to complete the certificate. Many families seek a PA14 because probate has stalled and clear, independent evidence is needed before the estate can move forward. Where the issue relates to a past decision, such as whether someone had capacity when they made a Will, a testamentary or retrospective assessment may be more appropriate.
The legal test for a PA14 assessment
A PA14 assessment applies the Mental Capacity Act 2005 to the specific probate decision. The question is not whether the person has a diagnosis, appears forgetful, or needs support in daily life, but whether, at the time it needs to be made, they can make the decision about the Grant of Representation and estate administration. In practice, the assessment asks whether the person can:
Understand the information relevant to applying for the Grant of Representation and administering the estate
Retain that information long enough to make the decision
Use or weigh that information as part of the decision-making process
Communicate their decision by any means
If they cannot do one or more of these, the assessor considers whether that inability is because of an impairment of, or disturbance in, the functioning of the mind or brain. Capacity is decision-specific, so a finding that the person lacks capacity for the probate decision does not mean they lack capacity for every decision. The assessment focuses on the actual probate decision in issue, rather than broad assumptions about age, diagnosis or presentation.
Framework: Mental Capacity Act 2005 ss 1 to 3 and the Code of Practice; the PA14 probate medical certificate used in probate proceedings. Reports are prepared in a CPR Part 35-compliant format.
For the framework in full, read our guide: what is a PA14 probate mental capacity assessment.
Our PA14 assessment process
Initial enquiry and triage
Contact us and we ask a few key questions about the probate issue, the person to be assessed, and why the PA14 has been requested. We also confirm whether a PA14 is the right route, or whether a testamentary or retrospective assessment fits better.
Quotation and booking
Once we understand the scope, we provide a clear quotation including VAT and any travel costs, and arrange a suitable appointment as quickly as possible, face to face or remotely where appropriate.
Assessment appointment
A qualified assessor completes a probate-specific capacity assessment in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005, focused on the grant of representation and estate administration, in a structured, supportive conversation.
PA14 certificate and report preparation
We complete the PA14 medical certificate and prepare a full CPR Part 35-compliant, decision-specific report setting out the background, evidence, relevant information, findings, analysis and reasoning.
Secure delivery and next steps
The completed certificate and report are delivered securely, and we can respond to reasonable clarification queries from the instructing solicitor or professional afterwards.
What the assessment and report cover
A strong PA14 gives more than a certificate. It explains the decision assessed, the evidence, and how the conclusion was reached, so families, solicitors and the Probate Registry can rely on it.
The specific probate decision assessed: the grant and estate administration
The person's connection to the deceased and why the PA14 is needed
The relevant background information and records reviewed
The relevant information the person needs to understand for the probate decision
The practicable steps taken to support participation
Whether the person can understand, retain, use or weigh the information and communicate a decision
Whether any inability is because of an impairment or disturbance of the mind or brain
The completed PA14 certificate and CPR Part 35 report, with reasoning and statement of truth
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Standard or Enhanced, which does your case need?
A standard PA14 assessment is right for most cases, and includes the certificate and a full CPR Part 35 report. Where the matter is complex, contested or likely to require more detailed evidence, an enhanced assessment pathway provides a deeper evidential foundation.
Standard PA14 Assessment
£600 + VAT
- Probate-specific capacity assessment under the Mental Capacity Act 2005
- The completed PA14 medical certificate
- A full CPR Part 35-compliant report as standard
- MoCA where appropriate
Right for most PA14 cases, certificate and full report included.
Enhanced Assessment
£3,500 + VAT
- Extended, multi-layered assessment
- Fuller evidence review and consideration of limitations
- Broader evidential framework for complex or contested matters
- Robust reporting where the estate or capacity is disputed
For complex, contested or higher-risk probate matters.
A full-time, multidisciplinary team
Nellie Supports is built on an employed, permanent team: registered social workers, a Chartered Psychologist and specialist assessors working together to one standard, with every report peer reviewed by a second qualified professional. Your assessment is never passed to an associate bank or referral panel.
The right professional for the decision
Capacity questions range from care and residence to complex cognition and prognosis. A multidisciplinary team means the discipline is matched to the decision, not to whoever is available.
One consistent standard
The team works together full time, so every assessment follows the same methodology and peer review is built into every report rather than bolted on.
Accountability you can name
Your report is signed by an employed professional who answers for their work, and the practice stands behind it.
Continuity, not hand-offs
The people who take your enquiry, carry out the assessment and review the report all work in one practice, so nothing is lost between stages.
How this works in practice
The situation
After a death in the family, the named executor, an elderly relative with advancing dementia, was struggling to deal with the estate, and probate had stalled. The family's solicitor needed a PA14 certificate confirming whether the executor had capacity to apply for the Grant of Representation and administer the estate, but the executor's GP had declined to complete it.
The assessment
We visited the executor at home and focused on the specific probate decision: what applying for probate and administering the estate would involve, the responsibilities it carried, and what would happen if they could not act. We took practical steps to support them to take part, and used cognitive screening to help evidence the impairment.
The outcome
The assessment concluded that the executor lacked capacity to make decisions about the grant and estate administration, and we completed the PA14 certificate alongside a full CPR Part 35 report explaining the reasoning. That gave the solicitor the evidence needed for an alternative applicant to deal with the estate, so probate could move forward.
This is an illustrative example, drawn from the common features of the PA14 assessments we carry out. It does not describe any individual client.
Why families, solicitors and probate professionals choose Nellie Supports
Certificate and full report as standard
Unlike a bare certificate-only service, every PA14 includes the completed certificate and a full CPR Part 35 report explaining the reasoning.
Probate-specific expertise
Focused on the grant of representation and estate administration decision, not a general or testamentary opinion.
A common route after a GP declines
Many families come to us when a GP has declined or probate has stalled, and clear independent evidence is needed.
Therapeutic and sensitive
PA14 assessments often follow a bereavement, so the interview is calm and supportive, without reducing the evidential standard.
MoCA-accredited assessors
Cognitive screening where appropriate at no extra cost, helpful where there is no formal diagnosis.
Employed, not outsourced
A permanent full-time team, peer reviewing every certificate and report, not an ad hoc panel of associates.
Common PA14 assessment questions
What is a PA14 probate medical certificate?
A PA14 is used where there are concerns that a person lacks capacity to deal with an application for a Grant of Representation and the subsequent administration of an estate. It is usually needed where a named executor, administrator or person entitled to apply for probate may not be able to act because of capacity concerns.
Is a PA14 the same as a testamentary capacity assessment?
No. A PA14 usually considers whether a living person has capacity to deal with probate and estate administration. A testamentary capacity assessment considers whether someone had capacity to make or change a Will. If the question is about capacity at a past date, a retrospective assessment may also be needed.
Can a GP complete a PA14?
A GP may be able to, if willing, available and able to give the required capacity opinion. Many families and solicitors come to us when a GP has declined, there is a delay, or a fuller report is needed to explain the reasoning behind the conclusion.
What does the PA14 assessment consider?
Whether the person can make decisions in relation to the application for a Grant of Representation and the subsequent administration of the estate, applying the Mental Capacity Act 2005, including whether they can understand, retain, use or weigh the relevant information and communicate their decision.
What do we receive after the assessment?
The completed PA14 medical certificate and a full CPR Part 35-compliant, decision-specific mental capacity report as standard. The report explains the background, evidence, relevant information, support provided, findings, analysis and reasoning, and both are peer reviewed before secure delivery.
What happens if the person lacks capacity?
The completed certificate and report can be used as evidence within the probate process. The PA14 does not appoint someone else to act. It provides evidence so the family, solicitor or probate professional can consider the correct next step, such as an alternative person applying to deal with the estate where the rules allow.
What if the assessment does not reach the conclusion we hoped for?
Our assessments are independent, and that independence is what gives the report its value. We do not begin from a preferred answer. We assess the specific decision on its merits and record the reasoning, whatever the conclusion. A report that only ever confirmed what was hoped for would carry no weight with a solicitor, the Court of Protection or anyone else relying on it.
Where do you cover?
Assessments are carried out across England and Wales, at home, in care settings, in hospital or remotely where appropriate. Travel is charged at £40 per hour and confirmed before booking.
Who will carry out the assessment?
A registered professional from our permanent, employed team, which includes Social Work England and Social Care Wales registered social workers and a Chartered Psychologist (BPS). Every report is peer reviewed by a second qualified professional before delivery.
PA14 probate guides
What is a PA14 probate mental capacity assessment?
The decision, the certificate and the report explained
Who can complete a PA14 medical certificate?
The professionals who can complete the certificate
Mental capacity and applying for a Grant of Representation
Capacity to apply for probate and administer an estate
PA14 evidence where property and affairs capacity is in question
How PA14 sits alongside wider capacity evidence
PA14, deputyship and Court of Protection: how they connect
When probate overlaps with deputyship
Other assessment types
If the question is about whether the deceased had capacity to make a Will, or capacity at a past date, a testamentary or retrospective assessment may fit better, and we can also help with a COP3 where deputyship is needed.
Testamentary capacity assessment
For making or amending a Will, applying the Banks v Goodfellow test.
Retrospective mental capacity
Court-ready opinion on whether a person had capacity for a past decision, from the records.
COP3 mental capacity assessment
For Court of Protection deputyship applications.
Nellie Supports provides independent social work assessment, evidence and advocacy support. We do not provide regulated legal advice, and where a legal remedy is needed we will say so and support your solicitor's work.
Book a PA14 assessment
Tell us about the probate matter, the person to be assessed and why the PA14 is needed, and we will confirm the fee and the earliest appointment.
Written by Ben Slater, Founder and Managing Director, Nellie Supports. Read our editorial policy.