# PA14 Probate Medical Certificate | Nellie Supports Source: https://www.nelliesupports.com/services/mental-capacity-assessments/pa14-probate-mental-capacity-assessment Canonical: https://www.nelliesupports.com/services/mental-capacity-assessments/pa14-probate-mental-capacity-assessment # PA14 probate capacity assessment 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. Does the person have the mental capacity to apply for a grant of representation and administer the estate? 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. The agreed PA14 assessment evidence and documentation, subject to the form requirements and assessment findings. ## 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. - 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. ### 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. ## 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. ### Is your case more complex? The assessment and fee on this page cover our standard service, which is suitable for most instructions. If your case is more complex, high-risk or potentially contested, additional evidence may help. We can advise on the appropriate scope before booking. [Explore Advanced and Enhanced assessments](https://www.nelliesupports.com/services/mental-capacity-assessments/complex-capacity-assessments) All travel is charged separately at £48 per hour including VAT (£40 excluding VAT). We agree the cost of any additional work before it starts. Private clients pay in advance. Professionals and businesses are offered 30-day payment terms. We can arrange interpreters at an additional cost, agreed before booking. ## 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. [HMCTS: PA14 medical certificate and permitted professionals](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/form-pa14-medical-certificate-probate) [PA14 form: the declaration required (PDF)](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/623c39a8d3bf7f6ac2de756b/PA14_0421_v2_save.pdf) [Mental Capacity Act 2005: principles](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/9/section/1) [Mental Capacity Act Code of Practice](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-capacity-act-code-of-practice) [Our professional standards](https://www.nelliesupports.com/about-nellie-supports/professional-standards) ### Explore the detail [Testamentary capacity assessment](https://www.nelliesupports.com/services/mental-capacity-assessments/testamentary-capacity-assessment) [Retrospective capacity assessment](https://www.nelliesupports.com/services/mental-capacity-assessments/retrospective-mental-capacity-assessment) Content draws on the existing Nellie Supports service page and the sources above. Fees are taken from the service catalogue supplied on 13 October 2026. This trial rewrite has not received new clinical or legal sign-off. --- Nellie Supports Ltd · 0333 987 5118 · nellie@nelliesupports.com Office 11 and 12, Unit 20, Springfield Business Park, Grantham, NG31 7FZ