How-to guides for Irish probate
Practical, step-by-step guides for the specific tasks an Irish executor or administrator faces. Each guide covers one job end to end, with Irish-specific detail on fees, institutions, forms, and deadlines.
Each guide on this page covers one specific task an Irish executor or administrator faces, end to end. The tone is practical rather than academic, the Irish context is built in, and every page ends with a recommendation for the ProbatePack tier that handles that area of the estate for you.
Getting started
Before any paperwork can be filed, a few early-stage tasks have to happen. These three guides cover the first week or two after a death.
- How to register a death in Ireland. Walks through the Civil Registration Service process, who is a qualified informant, and what the doctor provides.
- How to get a certified death certificate. How many copies to order, €20 each from the HSE, and why photocopies will not be accepted by banks, Revenue, or the Probate Office.
- How to find the original will. The five places wills are commonly held in Ireland, and what to do if the original cannot be found.
Valuations and asset handling
The estate's assets need to be valued at the date of death for the SA2 and the CAT calculations. These two guides cover the two asset types that cause the most work.
- How to value a house for probate. Date-of-death basis, using a local auctioneer, the written valuation letter, and common rejection triggers.
- How to value shares for probate. The quarter-up rule for listed shares, specialist valuations for unlisted company shares, and how pensions are treated.
Banking and administration
Once the Grant has issued, the executor moves into the active administration phase. These two guides cover the bank work and the payment obligations.
- How to open an estate bank account. What each Irish bank asks for, when to use joint signing authority, and how to transfer balances from the deceased's accounts.
- How to cancel direct debits and standing orders. Which payments to stop, which to continue, SEPA Direct Debit Guarantee refunds, and recurring card payments.
Filing and tax
The two largest pieces of filing work in an Irish estate are the SA2 to Revenue and the CAT payment. These guides walk through both.
- How to submit the SA2 on Revenue myAccount. Logging in, the four sections, the Notice of Acknowledgement, and the pitfalls that cause Revenue queries.
- How to pay CAT from the estate. Beneficiary liability vs estate-level payment, written consent from beneficiaries, and the Revenue myAccount payment flow.
Executor role
- How to renounce executorship. Form 63, the intermeddling trap, the alternate executor process, and why renunciation is irrevocable.
If a guide you need is not here
This set of ten covers the most common tasks. If the specific question you have is not answered here, check the process guide for broader procedural questions, the costs and tax section for tax and relief questions, or the glossary for definition lookups. If you are not sure what you need at all, the €79 Readiness Check asks 15 questions and returns a personalised plan for your specific estate.
What to do next
A personalised diagnostic report telling you in plain English whether you need probate, whether you can do it yourself, what it will cost, how much inheritance tax the family will owe, and what to do in the next 14 days. If you later upgrade, we take €50 off the next pack.