Probate evidence · England and Wales
PA14 probate capacity assessment
Does the person have the mental capacity to apply for a grant of representation and administer the estate?
Probate may be delayed when a living executor or another person entitled to apply cannot manage the responsibilities involved. A PA14 assessment concerns that person and their role in administering the estate. It does not assess whether the person who died had capacity to make their will.
Send us the solicitor’s or Probate Registry’s request before booking. We confirm the precise question, required evidence and appropriate qualified signatory, rather than assuming that every probate concern calls for the same certificate.
Assessments for families and professional referrers across England and Wales.
Whose capacity is being considered?
Please send the solicitor’s or Probate Registry’s request and explain the person’s connection to the estate. We check the precise question, the evidence needed and the signatory requirements before accepting the instruction. Different probate concerns may require different evidence; a PA14 should not be assumed to fit every case.
An application needs evidence
The Probate Registry or solicitor may have asked for a PA14 certificate. Provide that request and the current paperwork so we can confirm what opinion is needed and whether we can assist.
Administration has become difficult
Difficulty with paperwork, mobility or practical tasks does not necessarily mean the person cannot make the relevant decisions. We consider the help and advice available as well as their decision-making abilities.
A dispute about the deceased’s will
That is a different question. If the concern is whether someone had capacity when they made a will, it may call for a retrospective testamentary opinion, not PA14 evidence about a living executor or applicant.
An assessment tied to the probate request
The precise scope follows the requested opinion and the person’s role. Relevant information may include the responsibilities involved, the estate and the support available. The PA14 declaration also asks for an opinion on the person’s capacity to manage their own property and affairs. We check that the assessment and evidence address the whole declaration.
Capacity, not administrative skill
We start with the presumption of capacity and take all practicable steps to help the person decide. We first consider whether they can understand, retain, use or weigh the relevant information and communicate their decision. If they cannot, we examine whether an impairment of, or disturbance in, the functioning of the mind or brain causes that inability. We distinguish the ability to decide with advice from being able to carry out every practical task unaided.
Evidence and limitations
We identify the records, relevant information, support and reasoning behind the opinion. Uncertainty or missing evidence is explained; neither a diagnosis nor an unfinished application is treated as a completed capacity finding.
The certificate is not automatic
The appropriate qualified signatory must be able to make the statements required by the current form. We cannot promise a certificate confirming incapacity before the assessment or simply because someone else would prefer to handle the estate.
- Their role in the application and estate administration.
- The broad nature of the estate and the tasks or decisions involved.
- Relevant debts, expenses, beneficiaries and distribution responsibilities.
- The advice and practical assistance available to them.
- The choices and consequences relevant to their taking or continuing the role.
Confirm the requirements before booking
Send the request
Provide the solicitor’s or Registry’s request, the relevant form and a brief explanation of the person’s role. Include any deadline.
Agree the service
We confirm the assessment question, required records, signatory, documentation, fee and timetable. Any additional report or court-specific work must be expressly agreed.
Assess and provide the agreed evidence
The assessor considers the person’s abilities with appropriate support and the relevant records. The documentation reflects the findings and limitations; it does not appoint a replacement representative or grant probate.
What to have ready
Start with the decision, who needs the report and any deadline. We will explain which documents would help and how to share them securely. Please use the general enquiry form for a short summary; medical, legal and financial records should be sent through the secure route agreed with our team.
- The actual Probate Registry or solicitor request and current PA14 paperwork.
- The will or other documents explaining the person’s connection to the estate and entitlement to apply.
- A proportionate outline of the estate and the administration tasks in question.
- Any relevant LPA, deputyship order or other authority concerning the living person.
- Relevant medical and care records, earlier assessments and practical observations.
- The help already available, communication needs and any deadline.
Fee and agreed documentation
The PA14 probate form service costs £720 including VAT. We confirm the assessment scope and required documents before booking, including the certificate requirements and appropriate qualified signatory. A price for the service is not a promise of a particular finding or a full court-directed expert report.
PA14 probate form service
£720 including VAT
£600 net + £120 VAT
PA14 probate form service. Assessment scope, required documents, certificate requirements and appropriate qualified signatory are confirmed before booking.
Mental capacity assessment reports are delivered within five working days of the completed assessment. Appointment dates are arranged through our reception and client liaison team.
Questions about PA14 evidence
Is PA14 about whether the deceased could make a will?
No. This service concerns the relevant living person’s capacity in the probate application and estate administration. Questions about a past will require a different instruction.
Must the certificate be signed by the person’s GP?
No. HMCTS lists registered social workers among the professionals who may complete PA14, alongside doctors and other specified professionals. We confirm the proposed signatory’s eligibility and the form requirements before booking. They can sign only if the evidence supports the declaration.
What if the person is physically unable to deal with paperwork?
Physical or practical difficulty is not the same as inability to make the relevant decisions. The assessment considers decision-making and available support, not whether they can personally perform every task.
Does the certificate appoint somebody else to administer the estate?
No. Appointment, entitlement to apply and the grant are separate legal matters. The solicitor or Registry must address the appropriate probate route.
Can an attorney automatically take over the probate application?
Do not assume that. Authority under an LPA or deputyship order for a living person and authority to administer a deceased person’s estate are distinct. The applicable route needs legal clarification.
Will the Registry accept the evidence?
We establish the intended use and requirements before agreeing the work. We cannot guarantee acceptance, resolve a contested application or promise the grant will be issued.
Sources and related assessments
These sources explain the assessment framework. The precise question and any legal or court requirements are agreed for the instruction.