The deceased's family

The family is particularly important if the deceased died without a will. In this case, the estate passes according to the laws of intestacy. Relatives will be responsible for the probate process (they will act as “administrators”) and will receive the estate. See our guide “Intestacy: who are the personal representatives?”.

In any event, if you are dealing with probate without the assistance of an authorised professional, such as a probate solicitor, you should declare details of the family on the Probate Application form (PA1).

Relatives who did not survive

You are asked about certain categories of surviving relatives.

You are also asked to declare the number of children and siblings of the deceased who did not survive; in other words, children, brothers and sisters who died before the deceased.

You are also asked for “surviving children of brothers and sisters who did not survive”. That is, if there are siblings who died before the deceased, their surviving children (the deceased’s nephews and nieces).

Whole blood and half blood

You may come across siblings referred to as “whole blood” or “half blood”.

A whole blood brother or sister of the deceased shared both parents with the deceased.

A half blood brother or sister of the deceased share one parent with the deceased. They are known commonly as a half brother or half sister.